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ON THE WAY 


COMBAT EXPERIENCES OF THE 693 RD FA BN. 
IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS 


NORMANDY 
NORTHERN FRANCE 
RHINELAND 
CENTRAL EUROPE 



1 3-SEP 1 9 

|cmw 1955 


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PRINTED BY ERNST M OILER, SALZBURG, AUSTRIA 






COAT OF ARMS AND HISTORY 

OF THE 693 rd FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION 


BLAZONRY 

Shield: Azure, three bendlets sinister argent, a bend double cottised potente counter-potente or; on a 
canton gules a mullet within a fish-hook fess-wise, ring to dexter and barb to base, of the second 
within a bordure or. 

Motto: Impiger et fidus (Alert and faithful). 


DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY 


The 693rd Field Artillery Battalion was redesignated from the 4th Battalion, 18th Field Artillery 
per AG 320.2 (2-5-43) OB-I-GN-M, dated 8 February 1943. The Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 
18th Field Artillery was authorized to be organized at El Paso, Texas, per General Order No. 62, War 
Department, dated 14 May 1917; placed on the inactive list, per letter, Field Artillery, dated 16 August 
1921; the 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery was redesignated and consolidated with the 2d Battalion, 18th 
Field Artillery, per AG 320.2 (7-5-27), dated 15 August 1927; the 18th Field Artillery was reorganized 
on 1 January 1935, to consist of two battalions with two active gun batteries and one inactive battery 
each; a Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, a Service Battery; Headquarters and Headquarters 
Battery and Combat Troop, 1st Battalion became inactive 1 January 1935. The 693rd Field Artillery 
Battalion has no other history and was not entitled to battle honors prior to World War II. 

The design is that of the coat of arms of the 18th Field Artillery within a gold border to indicate 
descent of the 693rd Field Artillery Battalion from that organization. The shield is the shoulder sleeve 
insignia of the 3rd Division, the bend and bendlets are from the arms of Champagne. The canton indi¬ 
cates the parentage of the regiment. The fish hook and star are from the coat of arms of the 5th Field 
Artillery; the Union battle line at Gettysburg was in the shape of a fish hook and the corps badge of 
Slocum’s 12th Corps was a star. 























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IN MEMORIAM 

GEORGE C. HARPER 
CLYDE G. GINDER 
JAMES T. GARRETT 
OSCAR L PHILLIPS 
RICHARD H. WENRICK 
JESUS MORENO 








"To our Wives, Families and Sweethearts, to whom 
if can now be fold." 










































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PREFACE 


Four years of our lives have been compressed into this small volume; vivid experiences are described 
by a terse sentence. Such is the fate of these many long months of military service when reduced to prin¬ 
ter’s ink and subjected to the editorial blue pencil. We have touched only upon the highlights — - 
the drab monotony of war as we knew it has been virtually ignored — —and yet, as we lived those 
long weeks outside of La Neuyeville last fall or in Gros Rederching in the spring, our principal reaction 
was boredom and weariness. Experiences which make such interesting reading here were obscured by the 
deadly sameness of the dull grey skies, of the mud underfoot and of the night harassing fires. If your 
editors have underplayed this aspect, it is because they have tried to make this volume more interesting 
to you and to your children in the years to come. 

This book represents the combined efforts of many members of the Battalion, who have each made 
a contribution to the completed manuscript. Cpl. Botts is the author of the Normandy Campaign; Cpl. 
Blackburn, who as Headquarters Clerk kept the Unit Journal from July, 1944, to January, 1945, contri¬ 
buted the chapter on Northern France; The Campaign of the Rhineland was divided between Cpl. Isham 
and Pfc. Gugliotta, both of whom have been of great assistance in preparing the volume for publication; 
Sgt. Perry, who kept the Unit Journal from January, 1945, until May, 1945, has written the Campaign of 
Central Europe and has rendered valuable aid in assembling the manuscript. The statistical data, including 
rosters and recipients of awards, were prepared in the Personnel Section under the direction of T/Sgt. 
Brown. The photographs, collected from many sources within the Battalion, were assembled by Captain 
Bolson and Cpl. Sparks, who also prepared the photo montages introducing each campaign and who plan¬ 
ned the overlay of our route. Pfc Ruppel is the draftsman who executed the plates from which the overlay 
has been reproduced. Sgt. Fitzgerald has served as unofficial Battalion photographer, and many of the 
pictures are from his excellent collection. The cover and the title page were designed by M/Sgt. Howell, 
and Pfc. Stoddard served as proof reader of the initial drafts. Language difficulties in the publication of 
this volume have been solved by the skillful assistance of Pfc. Gruenewald as interpreter. Upon Captain 
Wilson’s shoulders has fallen the difficult task of completing the publication of the manuscript. Finally, we 
must acknowledge the publicity and inspiration given to our humble efforts by the Cobweb Comments and 
their assistance in the selection of our title. Thus, as you have made this history, you have recorded it 
for posterity! 


Salzburg, Austria 
7 July 1945 


M. C. D. Jr. 


15 
















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PART ONE 


“OUR STORY” 









INTRODUCTION 


PLANS AND TRAINING 

In the beginning we were five hundred Regular Army three year enlistees from Oklahoma, Texas, 
Colorado, and a handpicked cadre from the 18th Field Artillery Regiment housed in a tent camp pitched 
on the New Post Parade Ground at Fort Sill in January and February of 1941. While the 45th Infantry 
Division was moving from Fort Sill to Abilene, Texas, on March 1st, 1941, our recruit training ended, and 
we became the Fourth Battalion of the 18th Field Artillery. 

As the junior battalion in the Regiment, we struggled through our infancy under the watchful eyes of 
then Colonel Charles P. George, Regimental Commander, and then Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. Doran, 
Battalion Commander. Rapidly absorbed into the routine of Field Artillery School problems and exercises, 
we acquired the title of “school troops”, a term which was to haunt us for some time after leaving Fort 

Sill. 

From firing points on the East Range, from RSOP 12’s in the Blue Beaver Area and from Field 
exercises in the Wild Life Preserve we watched the expansion of the Field Artillery School from 1941 
to 1943. With the famous Block Flouse on Signal Mountain as an aiming point we set deflections and 
executed innumerable shifts for the succession of Officers’ Candidate School classes, which had developed 
into the major activity of the FAS by the summer of 1942. Employed by the Field Artillery School to 
perfect the technique of massing of fires, we perfomed before all students of the school and such distin¬ 
guished guests as General Marshall and McNair in the famous “Division Shoot” on the West Range. 
Early in our career flexibility was imposed upon us as we became guinea pigs for then experimental 
projects such as armored artillery and airborne artillery. Nor can it be left unsaid that we had a brief 
rise to movie stardom, under Flollywood direction, in a series of training films. Playing opposite BUSTER 
CRABBE, we have entertained countless G. I. audiences in a thrilling film, “The Firing Battery”. 

Meanwhile we had a succession of battalion commanders including then Lt. Colonel Walter T. 
O’Reilly, then Lt. Colonel Frederick Lyle, then Lt. Colonel James W. Clyburn, and finally Lt. Colonel 
Burtis L. Fayram. We furnished a cadre to the 80th Infantry Division Artillery in 1942, and another 
to the 42d (Rainbow) Infantry Division Artillery in 1943. We felt the loss of these veteran noncom¬ 
missioned officers, among whom were Archie Underwood, “Streamline” Wesner, John Thomas, “Kid” 
Brunett, “Red” Spencer, Horace Perkins and George Blissett. 

Perennial contenders for the Fort Sill baseball ch tmpionship, the Regimental team was reinforced by 
several outstanding players fiom our battalion, including “Super” Howell, “Ted” Vela, “Lefty” Isaacs, 
Morris Card, Donald Braa and Frank Bettencourt. We contributed Billy Tiger, Ben W. Smith, and “Jeep 
O’Neal to the Regimental boxing team which attained national recognition in the Golden Gloves Tourna¬ 
ments. 

Oji March 1st, 1943 the 18th Field Artillery Regiment became the 18th Group, and we were redesignated 
the 693rd Field Artillery Battalion. Our sister battalions became the 685th, 687th and 689th Field Ar¬ 
tillery respectively; later, the former 1st Battalion was again redesignated as the 18th Field Artillery Bat¬ 
talion. Exept for the 689th Field Artillery, which retained the 155mm Howitzer as its organic weapon, all 
battalions remained 105mm, truck drawn. At this time we acquired a Medical Detachment commanded 
by then Lt. Adrian Marshall, and the Personnel Section under the supervision of “Chief” W. O. Eades 
became an integral part of the unit. 

19 


library 

historical records section, ago 

WASHINGTON, D. C, 


Reports from the South Pacific on the employment of artillery in combat were being received at the 
Field Artillery School in 1943, and it became obvious that artillery technique was being perfected on the 
battlefield rather than on the Fort Sill ranges. Under Colonel Robert P. Clay, Group Commander, unit and 
individual training was intensified during the summer of that year. In August the entire group, less the 
685th Field Artillery which had left Fort Sill in June with the 196th Group, was alerted for movement to 
the Desert Training Center in California; and the Fort Sill period of our career came to a close. 

Arriving at Camp Iron Mountain in October of 1943, we were attached to the XV Corps Artillery 
for training. There we experienced our first taste of living in the field, of building a tent camp, of helmet 
washing, of maintaining trucks and howitzers without elaborate motor sheds, and of providing our own 
entertainment. After many dry runs we successfully passed the Army Ground Force Firing Tests, and we 
participated in our first maneuver with the 90th Infantry Division, in which sand, “C” rations and the 
Battle of Palen Pass were featured. In November of 1943 we acquired a new battalion commander, Lt. 
Colonel Ergo Iosbaker, who had served with the 18th Group as executive. On our oft duty hours we re- 
connoitered Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Indio; and most of us spent our first Christmas away from 
home. 

New Year’s Day 1944, found us engaged in preparation for overseas movement. A hectic period of 
inspections and overhead fire courses was climaxed by 48 hours of feverish activity under last minute 
orders. Our bonfires were still burning on the desert when we moved out by train, headed for the New 
York Port of Embarkation. 

The tiresome, transcontinental trip ended on February 1st at Camp Shanks, New York, where pro¬ 
cessing commenced immediately upon our arrival. Sixty hours later, still mystified and bewildered by the 
experience, we found ourselves on board a train bound for the Boston Port of Embarkation. At Camp 
Myles Standish we were processed again, and half of the battalion had one “last night” in Boston. On 
February 12th, Lincoln’s Birthday, we were aboard the U. S. Army transport, Henry Gibbons , headed 
for sea. 

Our ocean voyage was calm or rough, depending upon the point of view of the individual concerned; 
however, it was uneventful except for the abundance of rumors which circulated freely regarding destina¬ 
tion, size of convoy, ship losses during preceding 24 hours, imminent attacks by “Wolf Packs” and German 
periscopes observed breaking the surface of the ocean. On February 22nd, Washington’s Birthday, even 
the most persistent sufferers from “mal de mer” rallied at the sight of the shores of Ireland. We anchored 
at Gourock, Scotland the same day but did not set foot on dry land until 24 February at Glasgow, where 
a waiting train and Red Cross Donuts started us on the next leg of our journey. 

Our five months in England were divided between housekeeping duties at Kington Camp in Here¬ 
fordshire and rigorous maneuvers on the ranges in Wales and Southern England. At Kington we were in¬ 
troduced to English rural life, “pubs”, the blackout, fish and chips, bicycling and tea; on the ranges the 
Cobweb jinx brought us continuous rain and wet weather. “D Day” found us mired in the Sonnybridge 
range on a firing exercise with the XV Corps Artillery; on July 4th, we were embedded in the liquid clay 
of Salisbury Plain with the XX Corps Artillery. 

Without warning on Sunday evening, July 9th, we were ordered to proceed to an embarkation area in 
Southern England, at 0600 Monday morning. After a frantic night of loading, packing and rounding up 
members of the battalion in “cinemas” and pubs throughout Herefordshire, sleepless and bleary-eyed, we 
moved out at sunrise. Again, in the marshalling area, we experienced the confusing procedure of being 
processed. Equipped with invasion money, seasick pills, vomit bags, “K” rations and ammunition, on 
July 14th aboard two LST’s, we headed into the unknown awaiting us on the far shore of the English 
Channel. 


20 



“DO NOT LOAD!” 

THE NORMANDY CAMPAIGN 
July 14, 1944 to July 24, 1944 



21 



NORMANDY CAMPAIGN 

A thrill of excitement passed among the men who lined the rail of the landing craft as the first 
sight of the coast of France appeared on the horizon. At long last had arrived our own D Day, July 14, 
1944. This was also Bastille Day, the great national holiday of our French Allies. 

Everyone knew we were headed for combat; but no one knew what form it would take or what to 
expect as we drew nearer and nearer to the beach that was to be our landing place. The men were in 
good spirits, some joking in a half-hearted way of the task ahead; others, more sober minded, were wri¬ 
ting last minute letters or seemed to be deep in thought. Then there were the ever-present tales from the 
ship’s crew of their past tasks well done. 

The landing craft drove into the shallow water of the beach and came to a stop just short of the 
water’s edge. There before us lay Utah Beach, and all around were signs of the strtfggle that had taken 
place — broken ships needing no anchor to hold them in place on the beach — the burnt-out pill boxes, 
with the rusting guns of the coast defense. 

During the wait for the tide to go out came our first taste of war — the war that is played for keeps. 
To our left appeared a lone plane. Soon the tracers of the antiaircraft batteries on shore could be seen, 

and the plane ended in a burst of flame. Soon only the trail of smoke could be seen, marking the place 

where it had been. 

As darkness set in the word came to mount up and prepare to leave the ship. On shore very little 

could be seen, and this only added to the uneasiness of going into something unknown and strange. On 

arriving ashore, we tried to form our vehicles in columns and proceeded slowly to Area B, the appointed 
assembly grounds, under the direction of the MP’s stationed along the route. As there was much confusion 
resulting from the darkness and the unscrambling of the load from the ship, the last units arrived at their 
areas at seven the next morning. 

Our first position was among the hedgerows, and all about were the signs left by the troops which 
had preceded us into Normandy — waterproofing, ration containers, the odor of dead cattle, and numerous 
other signs of haste and war. 

The first town entered by the battalion in France was Ste. Mere Eglise. Here some of our members 
attended their first church service on Continental Europe. 

It was in this position also that we were issued our first item of equipment on the Continent — a new 
web belt with a bright, solid-brass buckle. 

As darkness set in that evening, the battalion moved on to the next position, across the peninsula 
and farther north. It turned out to be a bivouac near Third Army Headquarters, between Bricquebec and 
St. Sauveur. 

Here we were told of our mission. Much to our disappointment, we were to become a provisional MP 
Escort Battalion for prisoners of war, under direction of the Provost Marshal of the Third Army. 

The next days were spent in learning the technique of this type of work, in lectures an what to do 
if captured and in that ever present physical conditioning. In connection with our schooling for our new 
duties were lectures, trips to prisoner of war cages to study the job at first hand, and visits to nearby 
towns, some of us getting as far as Cherbourg. 

To further our conditioning and also to provide amusement, we constructed a very nice volley ball 
court and ball diamond, all within five miles of the front; for 'which job we were able to borrow a bull¬ 
dozer to level the Normandy hedgerows. 


22 







There were also hikes over the surrounding countryside where we were able to see what that part of 
the world looked like, and the terrible damage that war could produce. Well does everyone remember the 
shattered towns of Normandy. Near here we inspected the site of one of the famous V weapon launching 
platforms. 

We all remember those days, too, for there we first heard the roar of the artillery fired in anger and 
the German planes as they flew over the Allied occupied areas. We saw the fire-work effect of the anti¬ 
aircraft fire that invariably greeted their nightly visits. 

When the plight of the battalion was brought to the attention of General Patton, through visits of 
Sergeants Hermann and Noyes with their former battery Commander, General Gaffey, we were suddenly 
released from the escort job; and once again were ready to take our place as field artillery in the great 
advance across France and Germany. 


24 



“FIRE MISSION!” 

THE CAMPAIGN OF NORTHERN FRANCE 


July 25, 1944 to September 14, 1944 



25 


NORTHERN FRANCE 

On July 25th, 1944 the entire Normandy front erupted. There was a mass attack by Allied planes 
on a German-held area, ten miles square. This was the climax of the softening-up phase. Hundreds of 
planes roared over our positions, and we could hear the distant rumbling of the exploding bombs. It was 
in this bombardment, near St. Lo, that the death of Lt. Gen. McNair occured. The breakthrough which 
followed opened the way for the full force of Allied might on the land and in the air. Troops overran 
the dazed and shell-shocked Germans and poured through St. Lo, while the sky was filled with white- 
striped planes cutting up the German 7th Army. The whole Nazi defense system was thrown into turmoil. 

While these earth-shaking and history-making events were taking place, the battalion was notified 
on July 28th of its attachment to the XV Corps, which was in turn to be a part of the 3rd Army. The 
mission of the 3rd Army was to pass through the 1st Army and exploit the great breakthrough to the ut¬ 
most, and the following day we march ordered to an artillery concentration area. From this concentration 
point the FO’s, led by Captain Bolson, left to make a reconnaissance of a new area in the vicinity of the 
90th Infantry Division, to which we were to be attached. This was the same division with which we had 
maneuvered on the California desert, and of which we had heard excellent combat reports. It was in this 
position also that we drew our net camouflage covers for our helmets. These practically useless bits of net¬ 
ting strangely enough seemed of great importance to us and added that final touch in preparing us for the 
fight. 

On July 30th, we left the concentration area to join the 90th near Periers in the position selected by 
the FO’s. The war had just recently passed over this area and we “sweated out” mines. Our machine-gun¬ 
ners manned their guns for the first time in earnest as two low-flying planes swooped over the position. 
We also drew our first pay in the field. 

Shortly before midnight we received march order and in the early morning hours of August 1st we 
went into position south of Periers. This position had previously been occupied by the 687th FA Batta¬ 
lion, and it was here that the guns were laid for the first time. After much moving and jockeying for posi¬ 
tion we were at last about to jump into the real thing. Who could forget Periers as we passed through it 
that first night? Its streets were choked with debris, — the eerie moonlight filtering through the skeleton 
buildings, the fog drifting in, and silence broken only by the rumbling of our trucks. This first blackout drive 
paid tribute to the soundness of the training we had received on the desert, and the five months of dress 
rehearsal we had been given in England. 

Again in the middle of the night the FO’s left, this time to join a regimental combat team; at 0400 
the battalion was alerted to move out. The 90th Division’s mission was now to secure and defend the 
Avranches Corridor, the plan of execution calling for the doughs to detruck in the vicinity of Avranches. 
As we sat on the road waiting for the final clearance on moving, more than a few of us confessed to 
that uneasy feeling in the bottom of our stomachs. 

As we rolled along the roads, south through Coutances, we were greeted everywhere with open arms. 
Flowers paved the roads and schools were dismissed. The church bells in the little towns were ringing, and 
occassionally we had the good fortune to stop long enough to enjoy a glass of wine which the newly libe¬ 
rated French thrust upon us. On other occassions we stopped near shot-up German convoys where the rank 


26 


smell of death fouled the air. It was here that we saw a complete cow about 30 feet up in a tree. There 
were several bomb craters nearby. 

When no opposition was encoutered near Avranches, we struck off to the east and finally, in the late 

afternoon, went into position 10 miles east of Avranches, near the village of Pain D’Avoines. Here we 

experienced our first real sample of the German Luftwaffe. Twenty-eight enemy planes roared over our po¬ 
sition and strafed in the vicinity. As we huddled in our fox-holes, we recalled accounts of the “non-exi¬ 
stent” Luftwaffe and we were not impressed. From that time on we were subject to enemy air attacks, and 

it was necessary to be on the alert constantly. We were especially vulnerable while on the march, and 

numerous times we hit the dirt as hedge-hopping ME 109’s sought out our column. One plane was so persi¬ 
stent and regular in flying over our position each night at about eleven o’clock that we dubbed him “Bed- 
check Charlie”. The firing batteries displaced on August 4th a short distance in the direction of St. Hilaire. 
That night we were treated to quite an air show, which included bombs, flares, and streams of tracers, all 
of which took place at alarming proximity. The air battle ended at about 2 A. M, and we returned to 
our beds. 

Many of us were sleeping in foxholes at this time, and each time we turned over in bed dirt would 
trickle down into our blankets. Bugs of every description seemed to seek out our abodes and crawl in to 
keep us company. The weather, however, was uncommonly nice. The days were warm and fair and the 
nights were not too cool. We cursed the dust, but then we had not yet experienced the miseries of mud in 
a serious way. 

Early on August 5th we took off on a wild dash to the east. This was to be one of those periods 
when two and even three displacements a day were not uncommmon. Positions were of the drop trail, lay by 
compass variety, and most of the time we traveled with the foot-sore and weary doughs with reconnais¬ 
sance parties spearheading the advance. This was all part of the drive on Le Mans. 

On the evening of August 7th, Able Battery fired the Battalion’s first rounds in combat. Fire was 
called for by Lt. Haley upon enemy infantry and an 88mm gun. It was later learned that these were the 
first rounds fired by XV Corps Artillery. The initial round was white phosphorus and it was fired by 
S/Sgt. Wesley Punches’ section. It was here also that we took our first prisoners, two dirty, tired and desec- 
ted Germans who were evacuated to the Division PW cage. 

August 8th was a very eventful day in the history of the Battalion. At two-thirty in the morning, 
after a late occupation of position, we were aroused by an exchange of small arms fire in the area. One 
German was killed, another wounded and two more were rounded up by CP guards. Soon after daylight 
Able Battery brought in ten prisoners in one of their own vehicles. They had been captured while trying 
to escape down one of the back roads. While these men were being searched and assembled in a temporary 
PW cage near the CP, another truck loaded with SS troopers suddenly appeared from one of the side 
roads. The high hedges hid them from view until they were almost upon us. The Germans raked the area 
with burp guns and machine pistols. Our men quickly hit the ground and returned their fire. The truck 
was halted when the driver was struck and killed. When the shooting stopped, three of the SS troops had 
been killed, and three of the eleven captured were wounded. A French civilian was also taken, and, al¬ 
though he vigorously denied any connection with the Germans, he was treated as a prisoner of war. For 
prompt and decisive action in this fracas, Lt. Haley and Cpl. Skinner were awarded the Bronze Star. 

Meanwhile Baker Battery had been detached from the Battalion and had moved forward to become 
part of an advance guard, which was to spearhead the advance of the 90th Division into Le Mans. At the 
same time the 79th Division was to drive in from the south. - 


27 




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While Baker was forward clearing the way, the remainder of the Battalion rested in the shade of their 
vehicles. When a column of Germans was reported marching in our direction, Major Shoemaker and Cap¬ 
tain Corby left to investigate the situation. When the column came in sight Captain Corby gave the alarm 
and opened fire. The Germans immediately dispersed to a nearby woods and scattered firing was indulged 
in by both sides. A small party, led by Captain Corby and including Sgts. Noyes, Downs, Fitzgerald, 
White and Jones, was successful in flanking the wooded area, and the Germans quickly surrendered. In 
all, 113 enlisted men and 2 officers were captured with no casualties suffered by the Battalion. The episode 
and the day achieved an anti-climax when a lone Frenchman attempted to drive off in a German car. He 
was brought to a stop by a burst of .50 caliber machine gun fire. When most of these rounds sang through 
our CP, where we were engaged in searching the 115 prisoners, captors and captives alike hit the dirt. Or¬ 
der was quickly restored, but one of the newly captured prisoners was killed in the fray. For their parts 
in this incident Lt. Col. Iosbaker and Captain Corby received the Silver Star, and Major Shoemaker, Sgt. 
Noyes and Sgt. Downs were awarded the Bronze Star. The 8th of August came to a close with the entire 
Battalion in position on the outskirts of Le Mans. 

On August 7th Lt. Joseph Hannon, pilot, and Lt. Stuart W. Hanes, observer, took off on a routine 
flight from a field in Sace, France. Their mission was to locate the front lines, which were very flexible at 
that time, to report any enemy activity, and to give the location of our leading elements. During this 
flight they had several brushes with ME 109’s and were finally forced to the ground. For over a week the 
Battalion received no word from them, and all hope had nearly vanished when news of their safety was 
finally received. Here is their story: 

“As soon as the plane stopped, we jumped out and ran for a stone fence, having seen one 
of the planes coming down to strafe. After making one unsuccessful attempt to destroy us on 
the ground, the planes left. French civilians living in a nearby farmhouse called us over. After 
we had learned our position, we inquired as to whether there were any Americans in the vicinity. 

We learned that some armor had passed through the town early that morning. We were also told 
that it was impossible for us to go into town as there were still Germans there. We pulled our 
plane back under cover and returned to, the home of our French friends where we stayed for two 
days. On the third day we insisted on going into town; this was permitted after two of the men 
had scouted the town and convinced themselves that it was safe for us to enter. We tried to com¬ 
municate with our organization but that was impossible as all communication had been blown. 

We contacted the FFI, which was very active, and offered our services to them until such time as 
we could contact an American unit. They gave us a room in a hotel and placed us on their regular 
patrols into the surrounding country to capture Krauts cut off by the lightning-like thrusts of the 
armor. On only one of these occassions were we successful. Hanes and I with one of the regular FFI 
split from the main body trapped some Krauts in a farmhouse; they surrendered readily. On the 
sixth day, we managed to send a message to our organization by a messenger we chanced to see pas¬ 
sing through town. Three days later an officer and two men from our organization came to pick 
us up.” 

On August 9th we rolled into and through Le Mans. This was the first large French city we had seen. 
It had been hardly touched by the war and we were much impressed with the crowds of pretty girls. As 
we were among the first troops to pass through the city our welcome was especially warm. The speed with 
which we went through the city brought forth some remarks about how we always seemed to poke along 
through the country and race through the towns. It was in Le Mans that we caught our first glimpse of the 
treatment the French collaborationists received at the hands of their neighbors. We saw a large crowd 


29 









gathered in the street, and as we approached we could see that a woman was the center of attraction. Her 
head had been shaved and half her clothes had been torn off, and she was being escorted to a PW cage 
where she would be locked in with the Boche soldiers with whom she had been too friendly. 

After a short breather on the 10th, we moved northward with the 90th Division in order to close on 
Alen^on. This was our small part in the closing of the Falaise Gap, and we ran into very little restistance. 
At this time the French 2nd Armored was being passed through the 90th, and we got our first look at the 
outfit which was later to win the respect and praise of the United States armies. 

While in position, a few miles south of Alen^on, our work with the 90th Infantry Division came to 
an end. On the 16th we were attached to the 79th Infantry Division with orders to drive on toward Paris. 
The next few days and nights found us on the roads almost continuously. Drivers who couldn’t take 
time out for proper vehicle maintenance, somehow contrived to keep the trucks rolling through dust, rain, 
mud, and blackout. Many times we were abreast of the infantry and occasionally out in front of them. 
Often our RO’s had to go forward at night and feel out the different routes. We drove through burning 
towns, were caught in traffic jams in some of the larger cities, and “sweated out” enemy planes circling 
overhead; finally we arrived at a position on the Seine River near Mantes-Gassicourt. 

Here we took a bath in the waters of the Seine . . . the first bath we had taken since the start of our 
push. Enemy planes were often overhead. They strafed our airstrip, and Lt. Hanes was struck in the 
chest by a '50 caliber machine gun bullet. His life was saved by the prompt action of the medics, 
who administered blood plasma to him while rushing him to a hospital. 

The mission of the 79th Division was to establish a bridgehead across the Seine in the vicinity of 
Mantes-Gassicourt. On August 21st we crossed the river on a pontoon bridge in that area and went into 
position in a dense forest, dug in and immediately began firing missions which were pouring in from our 
push. Enemy planes were often overhead. They strafed our airstrip, and Lieutenant Hanes was struck 
never silent. Our firing chart looked like it “had the measles.” On the 24th a heavy counterattack was re¬ 
pulsed with severe casualties inflicted upon the enemy. In this action the Battalion fired 76 missions, and 
Cpl. Turner was awarded the Bronze Star for manning a telephone in an exposed position during this 
attack. Air activity was again rather heavy and our machine gunners did some very creditable firing. From 
this position the battalion fired over 4600 rounds and was credited with destroying one enemy tank, four 
enemy vehicles, three guns, an ammunition dump, and setting a town on fire thus destroying an enemy 
strongpoint. 

Near the end of the month the enemy resistance ended. Patton’s tanks were racing eastward under a 
security blackout, and we moved south of Paris into a bivouac area near Nangis for a much needed and 
deserved rest. The gasoline shortage extended our stay and we heard reports of the First Army’s drive 
into Belgium. A group of officers and a few enlisted men went on a one-day trip to newly-liberated Paris, 
and we all drew a third-of-a-cup ration of cognac far several days. Everybody had a date picked for the 
end of the war in Europe, as the news bulletins reported the advance of the First and Third Armies. 

On September 7th we gassed up the trucks and moved out to the east, up to the banks of the Marne 
River with the XV Corps Artillery. At this time there was no infantry in front of our immediate sector, 
and word was received that an enemy strongpoint existed two towns in front of our position. We were 
formed into battle patrols consisting of two platoons of Engineers and Baker and Charlie Batteries to 
make a reconnaissance of hostile forces reported near Chaumont. The rest of the battalion was immobilized 
so that the trucks could be used to haul infantry in the fast moving situations. 

Reconnaissance elements of the Baker Battery patrol encountered a roadblock and became engaged in 
a fire-fight. Capt. Bolson came to their aid by directing fire from an over-looking hill until our air ob- 


31 


servers took over the mission from him. Serious damage was inflicted on a water tower which began to 
gush over the landscape. Cpl. Schwartz was pinned down while offering the Germans surrender terms. At 
the same time the patrol with which Charlie Battery was traveling hit off in the direction of Chaumont 
and their reconnaissance elements from a fine OP observed large German forces in that city. They were 
even treated to a formal guard mount from their point of vantage. It was wisely decided not to engage 
these greatly superior forces, since the other patrol was already in some difficulty. 

The road-blocks were too strongly fortified and defended to be taken by so small and improperly 
equipped a force. Casualties had been inflicted on the enemy, and our only wounded was one member of 
the attached Engineers, although the driver of the survey jeep made a fortunate descent from it just before 
a 37mm shell put a hole completely through it. All elements were withdrawn rapidly and we returned to 
our area in the growing darkness. 

By September 14th the big picture in front of us showed German resistance to be extremely scattered 
and foot troops could no longer make effective contact with the enemy. The Battalion was completely 
immobilized and all our trucks were assigned to convoy the infantry from positions often far in the rear 
of where the enemy was last reported to be. Unfortunately the retreating Krauts had left small delaying 
parties in addition to countless stragglers who would fight till their ammunition was exhausted and then 
surrender. 

For three days our drivers ran the gamut of these small pockets of resistance, ranging from the Bel¬ 
gian border to far east of the Marne River. Hostile small arms fire was routine rather than unusual for 
them, and at one point a truck park in an orchard was zeroed in by an unneutralized battery of 88’s. It 
was at this point the drivers learned to appreciate the doubtful protection provided by the body of a 
GMC truck as the high pitched scream of enemy shells fell with monotonous regularity. Eight Purple 
Hearts were earned in those three days by our drivers but fortunately the heaviest toll was taken in tires. 
None of our trucks was badly damaged but few of them escaped without some scars to testify to what 
they had undergone. 



“FIRE FOR EFFECT!” THE CAMPAIGN OF THE RHINE LAND 
September 15, 1944 to March 21, 1945 







THE CAMPAIGN OF THE RHINELAND 


Thursday, September 15th, was the day we started earning our third battle star. The trucks had retur¬ 
ned to the battalion and the casualties had become general knowledge. But there was still little to indicate 
to most of us the turn the war was soon to take, and, for the most part, we had no idea of how miserable 
the next few months were to be. In retrospect, however, that weekend afforded several hints of what we 
were soon to encounter and of the conditions under which we would soon learn to live. Advance elements 
of the 79th Infantry Division reported eight enemy tanks and six hundred infantry near Charmes, a call 
for FO’s was received from the 310th FA Battalion which we were supporting, eight P-47’s went into action 
to the east of the Battalion position, and worst of all we were soaked by the first of the cold Fall rains. 

The famous Marne River, which we knew as a bloody battleground of World War I, was somewhat 
of a disappointment. The quiet, peaceful stream made excellent bathing, and we were much in need of 
baths at that time; but it was hard to picture it as a formidable barrier. The days when we were to see 
much smaller streams than the Marne hold up armies were in the not too distant future. 

Shortly after the return of the trucks, we again took to the road going into position first near Rauves 
La Chetive and later moving on to Charmes. On the night of the 20th, we pulled into position two miles 
south of Luneville, firing 70 rounds into that city before dawn. The battalion occupied this position for 
over a week. This was the first time that determined enemy resistance had been the cause of such a delay. The 
leaden skies poured forth almost continuous rains, and the wet and mud became more hated enemies than 
the Germans. The firing batteries first set up pyramidal tents in this position; it was here that fires sud¬ 
denly became a necessity and night-long fire missions and the twenty-four hour shift became part of our 
life. 

The stiffened enemy resistance was attested to by the fact that on Thursday, September 21st, the Bat¬ 
talion Commander’s party drew fire while visiting an OP, established in an old German barracks on the 
outskirts of Luneville. Lt. Flaley, who was manning the OP, received only minor wounds, but Sgt. Ed¬ 
wards and two other members of his party were evacuated by the infantry medics. It was all too obvious 
now that the complexion of the war was changing. The entire 3rd Army was slowed, and while the head¬ 
lines at home were mainly concerned with the drive on Metz, Charlie Battery was daily being counter - 
batteried, and the Battalion was alerted to expect an attack from the enemy forces who had effected a 
crossing of the Meurthe River. 

In the late afternoon of Tuesday, the 26th, having fired 1856 rounds from this position, we winched 
our way to the main road and marched into the deserted and battered streets of Luneville. The civilian 
reception was the coolest which we had yet encountered, and a warning of sniper activity had everyone 
on the alert. The guns were trundled into position along the railroad tracks leading into the Societe Lorraine 
factory, and for the first time since hitting the shores of Normandy, the entire battalion slept under a 
roof. During the next few days the dead factory was infused with new life, and between fire missions the 
machine shops rang with the construction of everything from belt buckles to trailers. The sheds full of 
battered and strafed railroad cars stood as mute testimony to the works of the Air Corps. Most of us. were 
able to get our feet dry for a change, and some even took advantage of the town’s elaborate public baths. 


34 





,_ 




if$ 


SMI 

































Unbeknownst to most of us, it was here that word was received that the XV Corps passed to the 
Control of the Seventh Army; it was here also that our FO’s began operating on a regular schedule of 
two days “out” and two days “in”. 

On Sunday October 1st, we lost our Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Iosbaker, when his jeep hit a mine; 
he and his driver were both evacuated by the medics. Because of the enemy fire which was drawn at the 
crossroad, it was impossible to evacuate the jeep and the confidential papers and maps it contained. Lt. 
Young had to return under the cover of darkness with the wrecker to do the job. At 1105, October 1st, 
Major Raymond L. Shoemaker Jr. took over the command of the Battalion. 

We grudgingly left our factory home on October 2d and took up positions in the farm community 
of Champel. Fire Direction was housed in a vaulted wine cellar, and small amounts of francs changed 
hands as the Cards and the Browns battled for the World Series in St. Louis. The shells which fell frequently 
in and around the battalion area caused the construction of the first of the covered homes by the “Demons” 
of Baker Battery. These holes, which were from four to six feet deep, well covered, water-proof, and 
equipped with stoves and straw became SOP; with very few changes they were home for a large percentage 
of the Gun Battery men in the next few months. We gladly exposed ourselves to the constant drizzling 
rains to take advantage of the movies shown in a Luneville theater. Federal ballots were received and 
voting in the Presidential election was encouraged. 

All the while plans were being laid and supplies made ready for the bloody assault on the Forest of 
Parroy; Division G-2 estimated the opposing ground forces at approximately 1500 men, mainly Panzer 
Grenadiers, supported by at least 125 artillery pieces, a large number of which were mobile. That the enemy 
was dug in and thoroughly prepared was common knowledge. The attack jumped off as scheduled at 0630 
on October 9th with the 693rd reinforcing the fires of the 310th FA. During the first twenty-four hours 
of the attack we fired 1000 rounds, and the division advanced through the forest. 

These were unpleasant days for all because of the foul weather, but they were nightmarish for the 
FO parties. All through the night enemy high-velocity guns ricochered shells through the woods. To have 
German tanks grind to within a hundred yards of where a FO party lay huddled in a shallow hole was not 
an uncommon occurence. Even during the daylight hours it was next to impossible to adjust fire because of 
the denseness of the forest, and on more than one occasion it was necessary to adjust by sound. Lt. Haley 
had some luck in adjusting infantry mortars by working through Lt. Kochakian in the liaison plane, and 
Lt. Hardzinski and Cpl. Downey were pinned down by machine gun fire when they attempted to take a 
prisoner. The battalion came in for some well-earned praise when Baker Battery, firing its Normal Barrage, 
stopped a counterattack. The infantry reported later that the mission was the fastest artillery support which 
they had ever received. 

The vital crossroads in the woods finally fell to the doughs of the 79th two days later. They broke 
through to the high ground beyond and dug in to “hold at all costs”. We followed them up by occupying 
positions near Marainviller. Mines were now a real hazard and only elaborate precautions saved us from 
casualties. Meanwhile Service Battery requisitioned a schoolhouse in Luneville. The countryside was littered 
with more ruin than we had seen since Normandy. The truck parks and gun positions were- a sea of mud, 
and we added such phrases as “nichts verstehen” and “alles kaputt” to our growing vocabularies. 

Over the weekend the batteries moved to positions just north of La Neuveville Aux Bois in a draw 
which acquired the title “Cobweb Gulch”. Artillery jammed the valleys and the nights were lighted with 
the flash of guns. A rest camp was established by Service Battery for the returning FO’s, and daily movies 
were shown in an empty barn. The first of the football cards sponsored by Sgts. Fitzgerald and Young 
made its appearance. 


36 



;; : --•; v; 


mm 































All day Tuesday the 24th, the doughs of the 44th Division trudged along the roads. This was their 
first taste of combat, and for the first time we felt like battle-hardened veterans. Nevertheless, we were 
glad to see them, for we knew the 79th was badly in need of replacements and rest. General 
Wahl, 79th Division Artillery Commander, arrived at the CP to thank the Battalion for the fine work it 
had done and for its cooperation; and at midnight we were relieved from the 79th, with whom we had 
fought since the Seine, and were attached to the 44th Infantry Division. The following morning General 
Beiderlinden, the new Artillery Commander, paid his first visit to the Battalion. 

The next few weeks were a monotonous mixture of mud, rain, and fire missions. Numerous low-flying 
planes were over the area, occasionally enemy harassing fire was received, and on the last day of the month 
a Division Artillery Flash warned of an imminent air attack. At all times we had at least two observers on 
the line, and in one night Lt. Haley fired 1500 rounds in stopping a tank-supported counterattack. Lt. 
Hardzinski and Lt. Bang ate several meals from a standing position as the result of near misses. A battalion 
rest camp was established to the rear to give the men a chance to dry out and scrape the mildew from 
their extra clothing. Trench foot warnings were widely circulated, and only the timely issue of the army’s 
best piece of equipment, the Snow Pack, averted many a threatening case. 

As we entered the second week of November, there was a noticeable heightening of activity. Ammuni¬ 
tion piles were being rapidly built up and everything pointed to a big push in the near future. Finally we 
were informed that the XV Corps was launching a coordinated attack with Saarburg as the objective. During 
the initial phases, we were to be in direct support of the 114th Infantry Regiment, protecting the divi¬ 
sion’s left flank. The attack was launched on the 13th of November following 13 hours of preparation 
fires. 

The first four days were tough and costly; but by the end of the week determined resistance was 
finally beaten down, and the attack gained momentum rapidly. On Friday the battalion moved, with the 
aid of tractors, to a new position 2000 yards northeast of Leintry. Here, the medics treated four wounded 
Germans, and more Germans were captured 200 yards from the Battalion CP. Here also, word was received 
that Charlie Battery’s FO party, led by Lt. Hardzinski, was missing, and the Battalion position was shelled 
by 88’s. Major Shoemaker was slightly wounded and one GMC truck was set on fire. The harassing fire 
continued through the night and a Headquarters Battery radio truck was damaged by shrapnel. 

The breakthrough was finally achieved and in three days we occupied five positions. This was more 
our type of war, and although the hours of sleep were few and far between, we were glad to be on the 
move again. 

As the magnitude of the breakthrough and the general confusion of the Germans were realized, the 
XV Corps exploited its initial success by filtering the French 2d Armored Division through backtrails of 
the Vosges Mountains and by overrunning the Saverne Pass from the rear. Without stopping we became 
a part of the 324th Regimental Combat Team when the 44th Division followed the armor in combat team 
formation. We passed through the industrial city of Saarburg on two wheels and advanced into the Esch- 
bourg-Dossenheim Pass through the Vosges. In occupying hasty positions we placed our guns on or near 
roads so that valuable time would not be lost in battling the ever present mud. Thus we arrived at Dossen- 
heim in Alsace on Thanksgiving night, and we were immediately impressed by the relative cleanliness and 
lack of manure piles which characterized the villages in the Rhine valley. 

The French 2d Armored had already taken Strasbourg and requested infantry to help secure the city. 
The VI Corps had broken through and cleared to the south, and the First French Army was working up the 
Rhine from the Belfort Gap. The drive had been making headlines but there were few who could pause 
to read them. Germans, ranging from two man patrols to Panzer Divisions, were cut off in the Vosges Moun¬ 
tains and were vainly trying to break through to the Rhine and Germany. 


38 





































Shortly after dark of our first night in Dossenheim, Baker Battery was called on by the infantry to 
furnish a 25 man patrol. Contact was made with a roving band of Germans, and the results of the night 
fire-fight were two enemy dead and two wounded. Battalion outposts were swamped with prisoners coming 
in, and Guyton of Service Battery captured eighteen Germans while hunting for souvenirs. The Battalion 
sat down to a real turkey dinner the following day; while the situation was stabilizing, we caught up on 
our sleep, took helmet baths, and did a little maintenance on our equipment. An OP was established on 
Hill 324, and members of the Battalion sighted Germany for the first time. 

On Monday, November 27th, we were relieved from the 44th Division and attached to the famous 
45th Infantry Division, veterans of Sicily, Italy and Southern France. Working with this outfit was a real 
pleasure, and we were able to rest our forward observer parties. Attached to the 158th Field Artillery, 
we displaced twice to the northeast, occupying positions in Bischoltz on November 30th. 

All the while, the flanks and rear areas had been having trouble with cut-off German units. The Third 
Army drive to our north had increased the pressure on the Seventh Army northern flank, and the 44th 
was called on to drive in a northeasterly direction from Drulingen. After only six days with the 45th 
we were again attached to the 44th, and left on a night march back through the Eschbourg-Dossenheim Pass, 
to join them in the vicinity of Durstel. 

Thus it was that we jumped into the middle of a slow moving attack up the Sarre River Valley. 
The Germans were fighting a delaying action slowing our advance as much as possible by making use 
of Maginot Line defenses, mines, and by employing mobile guns with great skill. Baker Battery suffered 
a casualty when its wire truck ran over a mine. We advanced slowly through Durstel, Waldhambach, But- 
ten, Montbronn, and finally to Meierhof. At all times we had three observers on the line, and in order 
to maintain the system of reliefs, it was necessary for the battery executives to take turns as forward ob¬ 
servers. Fall was becoming winter, and more and more we took advantage of all available shelter. 

On December 11th, from our position 2 miles northwest of Montbronn, we fired onto German soil for 
the first time, placing a one volley concentration south of the village of Uttweiler. We were nearing the 
famous fortress of Bitche. In the fading light of the 12th Lt. Strong and his party, from a ditch outside 
of Petit Rederching, adjusted fire on Fort Simserhof. The Germans were employing direct laying on our 
troops from this fort, and our adjusted data were used by XV Corps Artillery to place harassing fire upon 
the fortification during the night. 

In keeping with the policy of aggressive reconnaissance, the Battalion Commander and his party recon- 
noitered for a new position in the vicinity of Welschhof Farms on the 14th. The party successfully entered 
the town of Kapellenhof, where the vehicles were parked while the Battery Commanders reconnoitered with 
Major Shoemaker. At that time all hell broke loose as the Germans started shelling the town from Simser¬ 
hof. The party was pinned down for several hours, but finally managed to complete the reconnaissance 
on foot. It was not until after dark that the vehicles could be moved, and there were many broken win¬ 
dows and flat tires. 

On Friday, December 21st, our steady but unspectacular advance was hahed by the news of the 
Ardennes breakthrough. The Seventh Army assumed a defensive mission, and the XV Corps extended its 
left flank to include the Sarreguemines sector. With the 44th Division, we displaced laterally to the town 
of Sar-reinsming, two miles east of Sarreguemines, on the 22d; on the following day when the infantry 
was pulled back out of Germany to shorten our lines and to establish a more favorable defensive position 
we withdrew to the south bank of the Sarre River near Siltzheim. Little did we realize that it would be 
three months before we were again to make a forward displacement. 


40 



1 










The first snow of winter had begun to blanket the quaint town of Siltzheim. It was the Holiday 
Week between Christmas and New Year’s, but the spirit of the season did not prevail. With anxiety in 
our hearts, we had read about the breakthrough in the Ardennes. Now we were sweating out a similar 
occurence in our sector. As a precautionary measure against a surprise armor breakthrough, engineers im¬ 
mediately began mining the roads in and around Siltzheim. Deep holes were drilled out at advantageous 
sections of the streets, and demolition charges, already fused, were then planted. All bridges in the area 
were mined and guarded. Nothing was overlooked to insure the successful defense of our sector. 

The first of a series of enemy attacks began on the night of December 31, 1944, New Year’s Eve. 
Jerry was informed that on this occasion the Americans would be too drunk from celebrating to offer 
much resistance. Visibility was good even for night observation. A bright moon reflected on the newly fallen 
snow, ligthting the countryside. As the attack got under way, our forward observers called in fire mis¬ 
sions with Lt. Strong adjusting on an attempted river crossing. One rubber assault boat received a direct hit, 
killing an officer and an enlisted man, and giving the rest of the men a chance to swim in the cold water. 
Infantry, assembling in a draw and illuminated by the moonlight, caught hell after they were observed by 
Lt. Tedesco. By morning this attack was stopped, the Germans having sustained heavy casualties, fifty 
percent of which were due to devastating artillery fire. 

The following day preparations for another attack were nipped in the bud by our Air Corps, when 
twelve Thunderbolts dived on the enemy, spitting leaden death, afterwhich the Krauts retired to lick their 
wounds. 

On January 3rd, four enemy Tiger tanks accompanied by Infantry shot their way into the town of 
Achen, which was to our right rear. A hasty withdrawal seemed imminent. However, this breach in our 
lines was filled by armor from the 2d French Armored Division, which checked the impetus of the assault 
and recaptured Gros Rederching. 

Our air observation team of Lts. Malicoat and Kochakian spotted thirty vehicles and a long column 
of troops on the road. They quickly brought fire power to bear on these luckless Germans with the 
result that fifteen vehicles were destroyed and the foot troops neutralized. 

In a series of counter-battery duels, Able Battery threw out sixty-four rounds and succeeded in 
definitely knocking out a self-propelled 88mm gun. The Nazi artillery, too, was at last beginning to find 
the range. Up until then it was more or less pecking all around us, but this time the shells landed in 
Charlie Battery’s area. The shelling lasted about thirty minutes, and forty rounds were thrown in which in¬ 
flicted several casualties and damaged the kitchen truck. 

Just about this time Service Battery began to tremble under the long arm of the Germans’ huge rail¬ 
way gun which was appropriately nicknamed “Alsace Alice”. Service Battery was in position in the town 
of Sarralbe, a few miles behind the rest of the Battalion and within range of this giant artillery piece. In 
the town there was great evidence of the destructive power of this gun. Under the impact and explosion 
of its heavy projectile, buildings crumbled and fell. The destruction resembled the kind that would be 
wrought by an aerial bomb rather than an artillery shell. The gun was probably shifted from one place to 
another to prevent its being spotted. The shelling of Sarralbe lasted for about a week, after which the gun 
was located and destroyed. 

Several days later, January 9th, enemy tanks attacked Rimling and heavy fighting ensued. That 
day our Battalion fired twenty observed missions into the town causing heavy casualties to personnel and 
damage to materiel of the attacking Krauts. The enemy, however, succeeded in capturing the town, and our 
forward observers in the vicinity of Gros Rederching again suffered anxious moments. 


42 



“NUMBER 50.000 ON THE WAY” 

Baker Battery fired this round from its position near Siltzheim on Monday, January 15, 1945 at noon. 


43 











Reports were issued to our troops to be on the lookout for spies operating in the town of Siltzheim. One 
suspected spy dressed in an American uniform was apprehended by the Military Police. Two more, however, 
were still at large. To facilitate their capture, all military personnel on the road had to have a pass or trip 
ticket, and also the correct sign and counter-sign to get by the road guards and Military Police. 

Rumors of paratroop landings in Fenetrange — a town behind our lines — were running rampant. 
However, as no official word was ever received concerning the operations, it was assumed to have been a 
false report. Some paratroopers did manage to make a landing in the sector of the 36th Division, but the 
situation was well in hand. 

On Monday, January 15th, special preparations were made in connection with the 50,000th round fired 
by our battalion since it entered combat. Baker Battery was given the privilege of sending this special 
greeting to the Germans. Several pictures were made to record the event. 

In the meantime Lt. Col. Iosbaker, our former Battalion Commander, returned from the hospital and 
was assigned to the 173rd Field Artillery Group while Major Shoemaker, who was later promoted to the 
the rank of Lt. Col., remained as Battalion Commander. 

The 44th Division was ordered to extend its right flank, and we made a displacement to the town of 
Etting. After our position was organized with great difficulty because of snow and ice, we settled down 
for the night. During the early hours of the morning, a call came through alerting the Battalion for another 
move at 0730 that morning. Reconnaissance parties left immediately for the new position. The ever-present 
rumors were floating about again. These new ones put us in the Hagenau sector where the Krauts were 
exerting great pressure. If true, this meant a new attachment with the VI Corps. Finally the orders came 
through, and the Battalion was to hold up at a rendezvous area northwest of Bouxwiller before proceeding 
to its new sector. 

After leaving the rendezvous area, the Battalion took up a position in the vicinity of Offweiler. We 
were under the control of the VI Corps, attached to the 45th Division, and in direct support of the 36th 
Combat Engineer Regiment, which had been committed as infantry because of the critical situation. Our 
mission of direct support brought on many problems. We lacked the personnel for such a mission, and to 
make up for the shortage, Firing Battery Commanders had to act as liaison officers. The snow, which had 
begun falling back in Siltzheim, had now increased its fury. 

Roads were completely covered over, some with snow and others, more frequently used by convoys, 
with ice. Movement over such roads was slow and dangerous. The pressing situation along the Corps front 
forced us to seek a rear position, and, just before dark on January 20th, the Battalion began its orderly 
withdrawal from the town of Offweiler, displacing by echelon to maintain continuous support of the En¬ 
gineer Regiment. Three of our vehicles, while moving into marching position, ran into snow filled craters and 
shell holes, and were helplessly stuck. When the order to move came, these vehicles had to be left behind. 
Unmindful of the fact that the town would soon be in enemy hands, the drivers of these trucks stayed 
with their vehicles. 

The blinding fury of the snow made progress slow and hazardous. Many times our trucks very nearly 
skidded off the roads. The fact that most of the route was over down-hill, ice covered roads made matters 
worse. Roads were congested and traffic was jammed. The first echelon of the Battalion reached the new 
position in Weinburg early in the evening. The remainder arrived in the early hours of the morning except 
the three vehicles which were still in the old area. As soon as possible our battalion wrecker was dispatched 
to winch out the lost trucks. It was a race to see who would get there first, we or the Germans! 

Working under the guidance of Lt. Young, Sgt. Fookes, wrecker driver, with the aid of Sgts. Hilton 
Bowman, and Juvinall, succeeded, in freeing the three vehicles, thus saving the Battalion a great loss in 

44 





' 


• •( 

«, 




’ 


. 
























vital and necessary equipment. Sgts. Cassell and Repta, Cpl. Chase, Pfc. Hanes, and Pvts. Cannon, Hurst, 
Tasovac, and Tollett were commended for staying with their trucks in spite of the danger which faced 
them. These men breathed a sigh of relief when they at last got back to the Battalion after having come 
safely through “no-man’s land”. 

For this operation our Battalion received a letter of commendation from Headquarters, VI Corps Ar¬ 
tillery. The letter was signed by Brigadier General Carl A Baehr, and was forwarded to us through 
channels, receiving many glowing indorsements. 

Alternate positions were immediately surveyed in case of a further withdrawal. The Germans were 
determined to capture Strasburg and cut off the Allied troops east of the Vosges, and they were pressing 
our troops to the fullest extent. We sat there and held. 

The 23rd of January was a busy day for the forward observers who had to adjust defensive fires in 
their respective areas. A static Observation Post was established in the Castle in Lichtenberg, which was 
once the home of “Robber Barons”. 

Our air observers were active again and during one of their flights they sighted a battery of mountain 
artillery in position. They adjusted on it, and only one section survived the fire for effect from our battalion 
and the 189th Field Artillery, a medium battalion. 

Air activity on the part of the Germans had virtually been at a standstill. However, one day a 
lone plane zoomed over and strafed Able and Baker Batteries. The plane was identified, strangely enough, 
as a P-51, commonly known as the Mustang fighter. Perhaps it was one of our planes that the enemy 
had captured intact and decided to use against us in the hope that before any suspicions were aroused 
the damage would already be done. If that was thdr plan in this case it did not work out because the 
plane was reported shot down in the vicinity of Shillersdorf. 

Ammunition shortage was another problem facing us in those days. The stock of the various dumps 
was dangerously below the normal expenditures and, in order to build up a supply at these dumps, ar¬ 
tillery outfits were restricted as to the amount of ammunition they could draw. This rationing went into 
effect February 1st and our Battalion was limited to fifteen rounds per gun per day. The gun sections could 
not exceed this limit in a day’s firing. Further, Service Battery could draw only what was needed to 
keep up the allotted number of fifteen rounds per gun. 

As the situation eased in February, a system of rotation was introduced in the Battalion to provide 
for the relief of one firing battery at a time for a rest and rehabilitation behind the lines. Our request to 
initiate this plan was granted, and Baker Battery was the first to leave, spending a pleasant week in the 
village of Haegen, South of Saverne. The plan was to remain in effect until all three firing batteries had 
an opportunity to rest. 

Meanwhile the 36th Engineers were relieved. Our work here was done, and we were ordered to 
rejoin the XV Corps and the 44th Division. On February 10th the Command Post was reestablished in 
the town of Etting. Snow of the previous month was almost gone, and the frozen ground was beginning 
to thaw. Sarralbe was again the location of Service Battery. How well the men of that organization 
remembered the harrowing experience of the early days in January, when the Germans had the town 
zeroed in with their long range gun! 

This sector had been quiet since our departure in January. Several days later, February 15th, the 
44th Division launched a limited objective attack which resulted in the recapture of the town of Rimling. 
The attack rolled along for a few hours. Finally, the Germans came back with an intensified counterattack 
which forced two companies to fall back. Hours later, however, this counterattack was stopped and the 


46 



ly - p/—j r , t- -- 






NANCY 





























lost ground was regained. After that, repeated attempts on the part of the Germans to dislodge us from 
this position ended in failure. 

A few days later on February 19th, the battalion made its first forward displacement since 
December. The new position was in the town of Gros Rederching, which was smashed and battered to a 
pile of rubble. The fact that it had changed hands so many times and that many tank battles had 
occured within its limits had brought about this utter destruction. Tanks and armored vehicles of both sides 
were strewn throughout the town. In the course of our housekeeping amidst the debris we put a new 
tile roof on the school building housing the CP and restord the statue of Jeanne D’Arc to her pedestal. 

We received a report on the state of morale of the Germans opposing us. It stated that the men had 
been ordered to fight to the bitter end by their officers, that adverse news was never passed down below 
the officers because of the effect on the men, that our artillery fire was very effective, that their ammuni¬ 
tion was very strictly rationed, that gasoline and other supplies were very scanty and that replacements were 
older men or convalescents. Because of these factors the morale of the enemy confronting us was very 
low. 

In this area Charlie Battery came in for another shelling by German artillery. However, luck was 
with them this time, and no casualties or damages were inflicted. Much emphasis had been placed on field 
fortifications, and our firing battery positions located on the outskirts of the village, exploited the camou¬ 
flage possibilities of the area. Here we also had our first change of battery commanders since entering 
combat when Captain Torrington was transferred to Headquarters Battery and Captain Bang took over 
Able Battery. Lt. Wright, who had been evacuated the previous October, rejoined the battalion as Survey 
Officer, and Captain Corby became Assistant S-3. 

During our prolonged stay in this position we were able to complete the rotation plan inaugurated by 
Baker Battery. Charlie and Able Batteries each spent a week in the village of Gunzviller, south of Sarre- 
burg, where they experienced the delights of town life in Alsace. Meanwhile winter was turning to spring, 
and daring members of the battalion shed their snowpacks. The XV Corps Rest Center at Nancy was 
opened, and some of us tasted the joys of this pleasant, friendly city. Living as comfortably as we could 
in the ruins of the destroyed town and on the muddy surrounding hillsides, we watched the valiant 
stru ggle of the French to reestablish a normal life and to bring order out of the chaos left in the wake 
of war. 


48 



“MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!” 

THE CAMPAIGN OF CENTRAL EUROPE 


March 22, 1945 to May 12, 1945 



49 





CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGN 


For two weeks preceding^ the attack of the Seventh Army on the final drive into the heart of the 
Reich, even the Germans knew the storm was about to break in the Sarguemines-Bitche-Hagenau sector. 
Up north the Twelfth Army Croup had breached the Siegfried Line, crossed the Rhine River and were driv¬ 
ing a wedge of steel into the heart of the great Nazi beast which was now beginning to writhe and gasp 
under unremitting pressure of those great allied armies operating there. The military strategy of the Su¬ 
preme Command had deliberately withheld the attack of the Seventh Army until an enormous pocket had 
been created in the Palatinate. Action was imminent. New outfits coming in our sector with their organi¬ 
zation designations on vehicles blacked out, large infantry assembly areas being organized near us, brass 
tearing through the streets of Gros Rederching on their way to CP’s and OP’s up front, all this meant 
something even to the inexperienced soldier. Tough and static winter fighting had keyed everyone into 
high pitch and the general sentiment was “We’re ready; let’s go and get it over with!” 

Finally the order came down. The Seventh Army was to attack on H Hour D Day, 0100 15 March 
1945. We learned that two of the most famous attack divisions in the American Army, the 3rd and 45th, 
would spearhead the Seventh Army’s push to crack the Siegfried Line and that the jump off would be 
made in the vicinity of Gros Rederching, where we were in position. The order indicated that the 693rd 
Field Artillery Battalion would be attached to the 3rd Division, a fact which caused no end of speculation 
and excitement among the members of the Battalion because we knew their reputation. We knew that they 
expected no quarter from the enemy and they gave none, that they had a burning hate for the Germans, 
and that their objective would be to seek him out and destroy him. We also knew that when these vet¬ 
erans of Africa Sicily and Italy began a drive, they usually reached their objective-fast. After briefing 

by our Battalion and Battery Commanders with an admonition from Colonel Shoemaker to remain “highly 
mobile” throughout the coming operation, we knew then that this was definitely the big thing. 

The attack came off as scheduled, but initial phases were slowed down by small arms, artillery and 
mortar fire and numerous mine fields. The Battalion fired many concentrations in support of the initial 
attack. Lts. Brunacci and Strong, forward observers, were up with the assault elements and had direct wire 
communication with the Fire Direction Center. They observed the opening phases of the attack and gave 
a vivid play by play description of events as the operation progressed. 

Two and a half days later, after much hard fighting, the back of the German defense system had 
been broken, a definite breakthrough had been achieved, and the drive had carried to the Siegfried Line. 
The Battalion was then ordered to occupy position near Scheyen to support the assault on the Siegfried 
Line. 2744 rounds fired on installations and fortifications in the Siegfried Line on March 18th later proved 
to be the heaviest day’s firing in combat. TOT’s were a common occurrence and the method of fire was 
usually “Battalion 10 volleys!” Also at this position the Battalion ammunition train was broken down into 
sections, each section being assigned to a firing battery for the purpose of insuring a maximum amount of 
ammunition being available to each battery in the shortest possible time. The Battalion Commander antici¬ 
pated that once the outer and inner approaches of the Siegfried Line had been breached, a fast moving situ¬ 
ation would develop and we were prepared for rapid movement. The direct assault of the Siegfried Line 
was now on. The enemy resisted bitterly from his pillboxes behind concrete “Dragon Teeth” and “AT” dit¬ 
ches. Our pressure was too great, however; on March 20th our troops succeeded in breaching the strong 


50 


















line. At 1130 on the same day we crossed the Franco-German border and went into position near the town 
of Alt Hornbach, Germany. 

On March 21st we displaced into the Siegfried Line to assist the 15th Regimental Combat Team, to 
which we were attached, in cleaning up pillboxes and fortifications by-passed by the main effort. We occu¬ 
pied position within the Siegfried Line at Offweiler Farm. The farm itself had been damaged extensively 
and was completely deserted. Dead cows, horses and pigs were lying all over the place, and the odor was 
nauseating. Much of the farm stock was still penned and had not been fed for days. The Battalion Com¬ 
mander ordered them fed with feed stored in the barns and turned loose. Dead stock was removed, and 
the place was otherwise put in order to accommodate the Battalion during our stay there. Ffuge concrete 
and steel pillboxes and other fortifications surrounded our position. Most of them were well stocked with 
food, bedding, radios, cameras, guns and ammunition of all types and of course the inevitable German 
“bier.” In a few hours they had been thoroughly “looted” and many valuable souvenirs obtained. Engineer 
units were busy demolishing the pillboxes by high explosives because previous experience had shown that 
sometimes the enemy would counterattack and reoccopy these same pillboxes, which of course would in¬ 
volve retaking them at the risk or cost of more lives. 

With the Siegfried Line breached, intelligence reports indicated that only hasty fortifications would be 
encountered on the march to the Rhine River and on March 20th the 6th Armored Division was committed 
to exploit the breakthrough to the Rine. The Battalion, still attached to the 15th Regimental Combat 
Team, was to follow in the wake of the 6th Armored Division, clean up all enemy resistance encountered 
on the march and, as the order indicated, “continue rapid advance to the Rhine.” 

After a 16 hour delay due to traffic congestion in the zone of advance, the 15th Regimental Combat 
Team got under way at 1740, March 22nd. The plan of advance called for the Battalion to haul 200 in¬ 
fantrymen on our already overcrowded and overloaded vehicles, a fact which caused great discomfort to 
everyone. The night was flooded by a full moon thereby increasing the danger of air attacks and ambush 
along roads which had been passed by the armor operating far ahead. To add to the discomfort, the night 
was bitterly cold and some element in the atmosphere caused the faces of everyone to become burned and 
chapped. As the night wore on, the prospect of a bivouac for the remainder of the night seemed more and 
more improbable as the column moved at a slow pace. Long overnight marches were not new to us since we 
had made many of them back in the days of Northern France, but it was generally agreed that this march 
was perhaps the roughest, as far as downright discomfort was concerned. 

Several interesting sights along the road were encountered to break monotony. Most towns which we 
passed through seemed to be completely deserted. We did not know, whether the civilians had pulled out 
with the soldiers, or whether they were hiding in the vicinity, but we noticed that destruction to towns 
and cities was much greater than anything which we had seen since Normandy. Points of resistance, which 
were usually in villages and at road blocks, had been ruthlessly crushed by the firepower of the armor 
and air attacks, and it was easy to picture the panic and extreme fear which overcame German soldiers 
and civilians alike who were in our path of advance. At one point, a column of German army ve¬ 
hicles had been caught on the road by our air force and armor. We passed thousands of still burning 
trucks and horse-drawn vehicles. Horses had broken loose and enemy dead lined the roads, which indicated 
that the column had been caught by surprise. The aura of death along this column gave everyone a creepy 
feeling. Horses wandering aimlessly about in the moonlight, enemy dead sprawled in grotesque positions 
and the smouldering and smoking destruction of miles of enemy equipment certainly brought home to 
us the ruthlessness of warfare. 

After tiresome overnight marches from one concentration area to another, encountering only sporadic 
enemy resistance, the Battalion arrived on the banks of the Rhine in the vicinity of Frankenthal, Ger- 

52 



■■ t ? *' i 

llJIg 

MHni 































many and occupied positions in the suburbs of that city on March 24th. The division was preparing for 
an immediate crossing of the Rhine in order that the enemy might not have time to reorganize his forces. 
We were briefed for this operation which was to be called the “Rhineland Operation” and was to be 
initiated at 0230, March 26th following a 12,000 round artillery preparation. Gun positions were situated 
in the back yards of civilian homes, and this was our first opportunity to observe the German civilian 
population. We did not known what to make of them and apparently they felt the same way about us 
for they caused no trouble. However, Cpl. Copeland and Cpl. Hughs of Able Battery apprehended two 
German soldiers trying to sneak into a house in front of the battery position. One was an officer and 
both were armed and carrying signal equipment. The amusing part of this episode was that a woman 
accomplice in the house attempted to divert their attention while the Germans escaped by methods not 
found in rules of land warfare. During and prior to the river crossing, the Battalion came under heavy 
enemy artillery fire from self-propelled guns across the river and from heavy emplaced AA guns in the 
City of Mannheim. An ammunition truck in Charlie Battery was destroyed by a direct hit and made a 
brief but spectacular pyrotechnic display. 

Finally, after a terrific artillery barrage, the 7th and 30th Infantry Regiments stormed across the 
Rhine in assault boats south of Worms. The Medical Detachement was swamped with casualties which an 
engineer unit sustained during the initial stages of the assault while they were ferrying doughboys across 
the river in assault boats. Everything was well planned and coordinated because the division pushed ra¬ 
pidly inland from the river, and the bridgehead was well established at the end of the first day. The 
Battalion had been ordered to prepare to cross the river, stripped to essential vehicles. Much time and effort 
were expended in making elaborate loading plans only to have the whole thing cancelled by an order to 
cross on the treadway bridge, the whole Battalion moving intact. 

We were then ordered to make a displacement to a town called Petersach, which virtually sat on the 
banks of the Rhine preparatory to our actual crossing of the river itself. After reconnaissance parties had 
made their reconnaissance under machine gun and 88 fire, and the Battalion had moved into position, and 
made preparations to spend the night there, an order was received about 10 minutes later to cross the river 
immediately. The actual crossing of the Rhine was made on a treadway bridge in the vicinity of Worms 
at 2300, March 26th. The bridge was enveloped by a heavy smoke screen, and it gave one an eerie feeling, 
indeed, to hear only the muffled rattle of the track plates on the bridge and the low exhaust of the vehicles 
and to know that perhaps Jerry was overhead getting ready to drop a few bombs on us. The crossing 
was without incident, however, and everyone dug in at the next position, exhilarated by the realization 
that we had just crossed Germany’s last major defense and that there would be no stopping now. 

The next morning we saw scenes reminiscent of the days after the breakthrough back at St. Lo. 
Columns advanced along the roads unmolested, and when enemy resistance was encountered, it was quickly 
overcome. Enemy dead, tanks and vehicles were abandoned by the roadside when they had the misfortune 
to come in contact with our mechanized elements ranging far ahead. It was now apparent that the war 
had again entered the “rat race” phase, and there was no telling how long it would last. One displacement 
followed another, and the days of regular meals and undisturbed nights of sleep seemed far behind us. 
The Battalion Commander’s reconnaissance party was constantly forward reconnoitering possible position 
areas, and as soon as we occupied one position, fired a few rounds and had eaten a meal, it would be time 
to pull out again. In spite of all this, morale was high and the Battalion was operating with great effi¬ 
ciency. 

The attacking elements up ahead had begun to overrun numerous forced labor camps, and liberated 
slave laborers were seen trudging along the roads to our rear areas. At one time the Battery Commander’s 

54 


parties contacted approximately 300 Greek soldiers who had escaped from a German PW camp in the vici¬ 
nity of Steinbach. They were oriented and assisted to the rear. In a matter of hours the roads became 
clogged with thousands of these dazed, half-starved people. Many were seen stripping the flesh from dead 
horses and donkeys lying by the roadside, and it was a pitiful sight to see them scramble for an occasio¬ 
nal can of “C” ration hash or a “K” ration biscuit given to them by members of the Battalion. 

On March 20th the Battalion occupied a position in the vicinity of Worth, to support a crossing of 
the Main River. There was light machine gun, small arms and artillery reaction to the reconnaissance for 
a river crossing, but the crossing itself at 0300, March 30th was unopposed. The Battalion crossed the 
river without incident on March 31st and occupied positions at Rollback The Battalion Commander, with 
Sgt. Noyes, Sgt. Perry and Cpl. Woods went back to the bridgehead site to check on a couple of stray 
vehicles and were caught in a bombing and strafing attack by German jet propelled planes attempting to 
destroy the pontoon bridge over the river. The bombs landed close by in a row of houses on the west 
bank of the river killing several civilians but causing no damage to the bridge. 

The enemy was in full retreat and fought back only at roadblocks and by use of heavy covering 
weapons such as flakwagons and assault guns. Resistance in the division zone was entirely disorganized, 
and only small battle groups and stragglers were encountered. Intelligence reports indicated that the enemy 
was pulling out leaving only these small groups to man road blocks and to delay our advance. Most of 
these battle groups consisted of highly ineffective and disorganized remnants of battalions and divisions; for 
instance the 283rd “stomach” Battalion, made up of soldiers with stomach ailments who were normally 
employed in building fortifications, put in an uninspiring appearance. 

Immediately after the crossing of the Main River, a huge reorganization of forces was being accom¬ 
plished which was to result in a plunge further into the Reich. The 45th Division was being shifted to 
the left, and the 3rd Division was moved to jhe zone vacated by the 45th. During this reorganization period 
the Battalion was given the mission of direct support of a screening force of the 15th Infantry Regiment 
which was to hold the area vacated by the 3rd Division until the arrival of the 42nd Division. The 
Battalion was relieved from this mission when elements of the 42nd Division closed in the area on April 1st, 
and we then moved to the new zone of the division. As a result of this reorganization an enormous “task 
force” was constituted which was to spearhead the Seventh Army’s drive in the final phase of the war in 
Europe. 

Still attached to the 15th Regimental Combat Team, the Battalion advanced through difficult, wooded 

terrain and over a poor road net from April 1st to April 9th, meeting scattered resistance which was easily 

overcome. This period was one of continuous movement aggravated by miserable weather and difficult 
traffic conditions. The 14th Armored Division was passed through the 3rd Division; the road net became 
badly congested and displacements were accomplished with great difficulty and delay, because of the 
presence of armored vehicles halted on the narrow, secondary roads. The continuous advance of the in¬ 
fantry and the movement of the armor greatly added to the congestion. During this short period the bat¬ 
talion made 13 displacements and the grind was beginning to tell on everyone. It was here that we last 
saw 2 DUKW’s which had been attached to Service Battery to assist their moves from position to position. 
These DUKW’s were huge ponderous “boats on wheels” used in the Rhine crossing and which were being 
driven forward with the flow of the army to assist in other river crossings to be encountered in the near 

future. These amphibious trucks could carry an amazing load and surprised everyone by their maneuver¬ 

ability on the road. 

On April 9th, resistance was encountered and the Battalion occupied positions at Holzhausen, 4 kilo¬ 
meters from Schweinfurt, where we came under some of the heaviest shelling so far encountered in Ger- 


55 


many. Schweinfurt, a large industrial city and scene of the heaviest loss sustained by the 8th Air Force 
in the fall of 1943 (64 heavy bombers in one raid) was literally “bristling” with 88 mm anti-aircraft guns. 
The town of Holzhausen, where the CP was located, was showered but miraculously no personnel casual¬ 
ties were sustained. During the night, enemy tanks advanced to the edge of a woods 500 yards from Baker 
Battery’s position and opened up with direct fire. Since it was dark and direct observation was impossible, 
these tanks would fire at the flash from our guns when a mission was in progress. Two Baker Battery 
howitzers were damaged by direct hits but the gun crews stayed at their posts and continued to fire, 
fortunately receiving no casualties. The Battalion and battery CP’s were dancing on their foundations from 
low air bursts, and shrapnel splattered on the roofs like hail. Foxholes were dug good and deep that 
night. The Cub planes drew fire every time they went aloft to observe. Everyone held his breath when 
the bursts came closer and closer to them. Lieutenants Malicoat and Hannon managed to evade the fire 
by changing their flying patterns frequently in order to keep the enemy gun crews confused. 

Resistance in and around Schweinfurt was overcome, and the Battalion then moved into position to 
support a second crossing of the Main River. Again the crossing was unopposed. The division continued 
its advance to the east and assault elements crossed the Regnitz River on April 15th. Immediately after 
crossing the Regnitz River, the direction of advance swung suddenly to the south and the division rapidly 

closed on the next major objective-Nurnberg. Enemy resistance became fanatical at this point. Great 

numbers of the enemy were being killed and very few were taken prisoner. Sgt. Chapman, Sgt. White, 
Cpl. Hanna and Pfc. Beaudoen of Headquarters Battery, while looking for the 39th Field Artillery Bat¬ 
talion CP, made a wrong turn and met several heavily armed German soldiers in the woods west of 
Ebersbach, who opened fire on them. Sgt. Chapman, manning the .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the 
truck, returned the fire, and after a brisk fire fight the enemy withdrew. The crew suffered no casualties 
although their 608 radio was damaged by gunfire. Enemy air activity had increased noticeably, and Ger¬ 
man planes were active at night strafing roads and dropping bombs. Service Battery, back at Bamberg was 
kept on the alert as planes strafed the town frequently. On one occasion, bombs, aimed at a QM truck 
parked on the road with its lights on, were dropped just a few yards from their position. Captain Wilson, 
noting that more casualties would probably be sustained in the mad scramble for cover than from the 
actual air attacks, issued an order that henceforth withdrawals to the safety of the wine cellar would be 
conducted with more dignity. 

The Battalion moved to the vicinity of Kraftshof within the city limits of Nurnberg on April 18th 
from which it was able to deliver effective fire on the City of Nurnberg and surrounding territory. The 
city was heavily fortified and numerous 88mm A A guns were in position around the city preventing 
assault elements from advancing rapidly to clear resistance within the city. The Battalion, together with 
two organic battalions of the 3rd Division Artillery was credited with destroying 16 of these enemy 88’s 
firing on our troops. Nurnberg offered heavy resistance to all three attacking Divisions, the 3rd, 42nd 
and 45th, and required steady pressure and the most difficult type of street fighting before the city was 
cleared. Battalion reconnaissance parties entered the Old City on April 20th and an OP was established 
on the sixth floor of an apartment house. Later in the day all organized resistance ceased and the city 
officially surrendered. Thus fell the shrine of the Nazi party. The city had been smashed by repeated 
massive air attacks by the American Air Force and RAF; hardly a building was left standing. Industrial 
areas had been completely wiped out; railroads and marshalling yards had been churned to nothingness. 
As a city it had ceased to exist. This was the first opportunity for us to see an example of the devastation 
wrought by air attacks and the condition typical of every major industrial area and major city in the 
German Reich. 


56 









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April 20th was Hitler’s birthday, and according to intelligence reports an underground resistance 
movement, called the “Werewolves”, was to strike on this date. The objective of each member was to kill 
at least one American soldier in honor of the Fuhrer’s birthday. Orders from higher headquarters indi¬ 
cated that extreme caution would be exercised and that all personnel would be informed of this threaten¬ 
ed uprising. Our guards were alerted and when moorning broke, the “Werewolves” had not made an 
appearance. However, this incident warned us of what might be a daily danger now that we were deep 
in enemy territory. 

The fall of Nurnberg found us more than half way across Germany. Although there were a few 
indications that the German army was about to collapse, it was reported that all German forces were 
withdrawing into the National Redoubt in Bavaria and Austria. Would we continue the advance directly 
to the east and meet the Russian forces driving toward us or would we swing south toward Munich and 
the Redoubt Area? All this was answered for us on April 20th when we were attached to the 42nd In¬ 
fantry (Rainbow) Division. We marched through Furth, and through the city of Nurnberg itself, arriving 
at a bivouac area outside of Altenberg. After arrival we learned that the 42nd Division was to march 
south to an assembly area in the vicinity of the Danube River, that the Battalion was to march with the 
reserve regiment and to carry 375 infantry to an assembly area. After much confusion and several hours 
delay, the Battalion moved out at 2300 on April 21st and thus began one of the most unsatisfactory op¬ 
erations in our days of combat. 

Traffic congestion caused by poor roads, mines, and road-blocks made displacements very difficult and 
caused the Battalion to be out of range most of the time. Several times reconnaissance parties found it 
necessary to enter areas which had not been cleared. On several occassions mines and road blocks had to 
be removed by our reconnaissance parties to permit movement of the Battalion into the designated area. 
While the enthusiasm of the Battalion was dampened somewhat by these incidents, the division continued 
to make a fairly rapid advance southward and everyone realized that each mile of advance brought the 
end of the war closer. On April 26th the Battalion crossed the Danube River near Shafstall, and after several 
displacements arrived in position at Holzlarn on April 28th. While Charlie Battery was occupying posi¬ 
tions, a sniper at the edge of the woods near the guns began shooting at. several ipembers of the attached 
AA platoon causing several casualties. A combat patrol of 100 men was sent out from the Antitank Com¬ 
pany of the 242nd Infantry to locate the sniper and to clear the area. Several persons wearing civilian 
clothes were taken into custody, and the sniper was presumed to be among them. 

About this time everyone was becoming souvenir conscious. The most sought after collector’s item 
was a German pistol, but knives, swords, helmets, insignia, uniforms and cameras were highly prized. Cpl. 
Lilley of Baker Battery turned up later with the souvenir hunter’s dream — — from Hitler’s house in 
Nurnberg, an elaborately designed field marshall’s baton inscribed in gold letters, “To the Fuhrer from 
Gros Admiral Doenitz.” Cpl. Wood, the Battalion mail clerk, was constantly harassed by questions as to 
the size of a box which could be sent through the mails, the weight limit and a thousand other questions 
concerning the only means of sending these priceless items home. 

On April 28th the Battalion was alerted to move out as a motorized combat team following in the 
wake of the 20th Armored Division which was to make a drive down the Autobahn into Munich. On 
April 29th our column, which was designated “Task Force Dillinger”, moved out. The march progressed 
over a poor road net, and the first phase was without incident. However, a comical note was injected 
shortly after we arrived at the Autobahn where the 20th Armored Division was being delayed by the 
3rd Division. The 20th Armored Division’s mission was to sweep down the Autobahn and to eliminate 
all enemy resistance. As it turned out, the 3rd Division Band led the armor down the Autobahn, and 


58 



SittSSlsI 




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after we had traveled several miles down the road casting uneasy glances on each side for possible ambush, 
we were startled to see big red lettered signs “3rd Division QM” and “3rd Division Ration Point.” 

While the 20th Armored Division continued its advance toward Munich we cut off from the column 
to unload the infantry at their assembly area in Ob Roth. The town seemed quiet enough when we ente¬ 
red, but the doughboys and our own men began to flush Germans out of the houses by the dozens. Baker 
Battery captured 21, and it seemed that there were more German soldiers in the town than Americans. As 
it turned out, they were just waiting for such an opportunity to surrender and at 2200 we turned our 
PW’s over to the infantry and began the march back to the 3rd Division zone. We arrived there an 
hour and a half later and occupied positions at Geiselbullach. Advance elements of the 3rd Division had 
arrived in the outskirts of Munich and were preparing to enter the city. On April 30th the Battalion 
displaced to the vicinity of Munich and at 1415 the same day, we arrived in Grafelfing, a suburb of the . 
city. Upon our arrival we were surprised to hear that resistance in Munich had collapsed and that mop¬ 
ping up operations were already in progress. We were then immobilized in order to furnish 20 GMC 
trucks to motorize the 3rd Division for a lightning thrust into the National Redoubt in the direction of 
Salzburg, Austria and Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s famous mountain retreat. 

Munich, capital of Bavaria, has a normal population of 829,000 and is the third largest city in Ger¬ 
many. One of Germany’s principal industrial centers, it was also the brithplace of the Nazi party. Sight¬ 
seeing trips authorized by Colonel Shoemaker on May 1st were conducted through the battered city and 
to the notorious Dachau prison camp. The site of the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch was visited, and at 1200, 
May 1st Major Dittmann, Captain Kinder and Cpl. Isaacs entered the famous Hofbrau House where the 
Nazi party was founded. This was the second opportunity for members of the Battalion to see at first 
hand the effect of large scale industrial bombing although the city was not as completely destroyed by 
saturation raids as was the city of Nurnberg. 

On May 2nd we were ordered to move as much of the Battalion as possible with available transpor¬ 
tation and to occupy positions in the vicinity of Rosenheim. Anticipation of such an order by Colonel 
Shoemaker enabled him to assemble Baker Battery and the first echelon of Headquarters Battery and to 
have them on the road an hour and a half later. Thus began our final chapter of the war in Europe. 

The 7th Regimental Combat Team, motorized, was cutting a swath deep into the Redoubt Area, and 
upon arrival of Baker Battery and the echelon of Headquarters Battery at the designated position in Ro¬ 
senheim, Colonel Shoemaker was told to continue to march along the Autobahn until enemy resistance was 
encountered or until he met the column of the 7th Regimental Combat Team. The Colonel then sent word 
back to the remainder of the Battalion, still at Grafelfing, to send maps, rations and gasoline forward. 
He also indicated that our trucks would soon be released and that they would return to Grafelfing to 
move the rest of the Battalion forward. 

The forward echelon of the Battalion roared down the Autobahn and joined the Combat Team on 
May 3rd. The column was rolling ahead virtually unopposed, and we began to meet thousands of Ger¬ 
man prisoners marching in small groups and columns of several hundred to our rear areas. Many were seen 
coming out of woods and side roads of their own accord to join these columns. Every German soldier in 
this sector had either received orders to surrender or had refused to continue the fight. The Autobahn is 
a dual highway, and to the rear streamed thousands of German soldiers, trucks, motorcycles, troop car¬ 
riers, in fact, all the equipment necessary for an army to function with the exception of weapons. We 
had seen prisoners before but never anything like this. One can picture the amazing scene described here: 
two armies which had been locked in death grip for over three years were passing each other at throwing 
distance. One army was completely victorious, the other was going down to ignominious defeat. It was 


60 


now apparent that the Germans were completely powerless to cope with the might of the American Armies 
advancing into the Redoubt and that there would be no large scale last ditch stand in this area. 

We knew the end was coming but we anticipated that, after months of concentrating troops in this 
area, there were undoubtedly SS troops in this vicinity prepared to make a fanatical stand and that there 
might be plenty of tough, mopping up operations ahead. 

Finally, on May 3rd, some resistance was encountered up ahead, and Baker Battery went into firing 
position at Hub. While at this position, the men liberated 5 American PW’s who had been sent to the 
farms in this vicinity to work in the fields. The elation and gratitude of these men was beyond descrip¬ 
tion, and strangely they told of excellent treatment by the German families with whom they had been 
quartered. They also mentioned that treatment had improved considerably the past two weeks. At this 
point 18 trucks returned to Grafelfing, and Able Battery and the second echelon of Headquarters Battery 
began their march down the Autobahn to join Baker Battery. Meanwhile resistance was particularly heavy 
in the town of Piding just a short distance ahead and was eventually reduced after a heavy fire fight. 
Baker Battery went into position in Piding just a short time after the city was cleared, and forward 
reconnaissance indicated that several bridges leading into Salzburg were blown, that enemy resistance was 
increasing and that we could expect a good fight here. 

Firing was fairly heavy during the night but morning broke with a strange calm. At 0700 a report 
was received that our elements were making no contact in Salzburg, a fact which seemed strange as the 
town was reported heavily garrisoned with SS Troops who were to defend the city to the last man. At 
0900 the same morning representatives from the 3rd Division entered the city to negotiate surrender 
terms. All resistance ceased and the city officially surrendered a short time later. At 1100 Able Battery 
and the second echelon of Headquarters Battery arrived in position at Piding after a hectic all night march 
down the Autobahn in which a command car overturned in a deep crater, injuring Lt. McLeod, Sgt. Repta, 
Cpl. Hill and Cpl. Hirschmann. These were the last Purple Hearts awarded by this organization for in¬ 
juries received during combat. 

The shape of things to come had begun to assert themselves. An official entry in the unit journal is 
quoted herewith: 

“1400 May 3rd 1945 — From 3rd Division Artillery: Information received indicates General 

Von Kesselring plans to surrender his forces today. If he appears in your area , take him to 3rd 

Division Headquarters without delay.” 

Since Von Kesselring’s Army Group was one of the major forces still resisting in Europe and since 
his surrender appeared imminent, the end of all organized resistance and the end of the war seemed in 
prospect for the near future. Von Kesselring contacted the 3rd Division representatives shortly after this 
warning was issued because Baker Battery, while on the march to the new; position, became involved in 
a column of German vehicles coming from the other direction. This column proved to be the surrender 
party of Von Kesselring. 

Lt. Tufts in charge of our vehicles was acosted by Major General “Iron Mike” O’Daniels to 
get those damned vehicles off the road and let me pass. I’ve got the end of the war here.” There is no 
doubt that the surrender of Von Kesselring unofficially ended the war in southern Germany and Austria. 

On May 4th Colonel Shoemaker accompanied a task force from the 7th Infantry whose mission was 
to march through the pass leading to Berchtesgaden, clear out all enemy resistance, continue the advance 
and capture Berchtesgaden and Adolph Hitler’s retreat on Mt. Kehlstein. Surprisingly slight resistance was 
encountered on the march, and when the column reached the outskirts of the town, the commanding gene¬ 
ral of the SS troops garrisoned there and the burgomeister of the town were waiting with a white flag 
to surrender. 


61 


On the same date, after a reconnaissance of bridge sites over the Salzach River and of a position area 
in the vicinity of Salzburg, Colonel Shoemaker moved Baker Battery and the first echelon of Headquarters 
Battery across the river to occupy a position on the airfield to cover the 2nd Battalion of the 7th In¬ 
fantry disposed on the west side of the city of Salzburg. At 2045 we entered Austria for the first time 
and went into firing position 15 minutes later. The next morning the remainder of the Battalion entered 
Austria at 0800, May 5th and were in position ready to fire shortly afterwards. This was to be the last 
firing position occupied by the Battalion in the European War. 

Rumors were many concerning the end of the war. One had only to look about him to see that the 
German army was finished. Two complete German divisions marched down the Autobahn to surrender. 
250 kilometers away, the Russian Army was driving westward from Vienna and the Third Army was 
driving down from the north. Reports indicated that battlefield surrenders were taking place on all fronts 
and that it would just be a matter of time until a complete formal unconditional surrender would be effec¬ 
ted. At 1630 on May 5th, 3rd Division Artillery sent out an order that all firing would cease unless of 
course, we were fired upon. On May 6th, we learned that we were to remain at Salzburg Airfield for a 
period of at least 10 days and that temporary garrison installations would be prepared to accommodate 
the Battalion. We all knew by this time that our part in the European War was over, but strangely none 
of the things which we said we would do when this moment arrived seemed appropriate. Perhaps we just 
could not believe it or maybe, being soldiers, we realized the job was only half done. Our part in the cam¬ 
paigns of Europe was finished, but the war in the Pacific still confronted us and would require many 
troops from this theater before victory would be aclveved. Then too, an official end to the war had not 
been declared, and, although things seemed quiet eno igh at the moment, more fighting could still be en¬ 
countered. 

Finally on May 7th, Colonel Nye, 173rd FA Group Commander, visited the CP and gave the word 
that Admiral Doenitz had submitted an unconditional surrender to the Allies, that all Germans had until 
midnight May 8th to surrender all forces and that all hostilities were to cease. Everyone was extremely 
relieved but again there were no wild displays of happiness and elation. 

On May 8th we were kept busy receiving German planes of all types which were landing at the 
airfield and surrendering their crews. Most of them came in from Leipzig and Klagenfurt after having 
received orders to fly to this airfield to surrender. After months of sweating out German planes, it was 
hard to get used to having them buzz over our heads all day and land a hundred yards from us. 

At 2400, May 8th 1945 the German surrender terms became final and the war in Europe ended. Still 
dazed and unable to comprehend its full meaning, we joined in the salute by discharging small arms and 
flares at midnight. Thus, in a blaze of gunfire we ushered in an era of peace in Europe. 


62 


EPILOGUE 


The future is beginning to take shape for the Battalion as we go to press, and it appears that we are 
merely at a halting place in our combat history. However, sweeping changes in personnel are now in 
progress and many familiar faces will disappear from the scene. For those who will join the unit and for 
those who have had the good fortune to depart for the States we will summarize our activities of the 
past two months since May 8th. 

After a brief period of rehabilitation of materiel and personal equipment following the cessation of 
hostilities, we assumed the mission of guarding warehouses, utilities and art treasures in Salzburg, which 
still continues. The changing nature of the guard posts and the scenic beauties of Salzburg have made this 
job popular among men and officers. At the same time we have been able to enjoy the artistic and cul¬ 
tural advantages of this community. Under Captain Kinder and Cpl. Ginger an active Special Service 
program has resulted in a variety of sight-seeing tours to all points of interest and in quotas to the reviews, 
theatrical performances and concerts. For those interested in classical music the Salzburg Festival Orche¬ 
stra resumed its concerts late in June; those whose interests were on the lighter side were entertained by 
Marlingo and the yodelers at the frequent Austrian reviews. 

Meanwhile a liberal policy on passes and furloughs has enabled most of the Battalion to revisit frater¬ 
nizing territory since the end of hostilities. Almost 50% of the Battalion made the long drive to the 
Riviera, the “GI Paradise”, for seven days of rest and rehabilitation, with the last two convoys jour¬ 
neying through the Brenner Pass and Italy. The XV Corps Rest Center continued in full blast in Nancy, 
until July 4th and there were many repeaters last month. A few small quotas to Paris and Lyons were 
enjoyed to the utmost, and one small group of four enlisted men returned to England on furlough. Baker 
and Charlie Batteries each established a camp on nearby lakes where fishing and boating facilities were 
available, and the Cobweb Yacht Club was organized for sailing enthusiasts. 

Readjustment of personnel within the unit under the point system first appeared in the form of small 
quotas to return to the United States. M/Sgt. Noyes spearheaded the return of the Battalion by leaving on 
May 19th and arriving at his home in Oklahoma on June 17th. Two groups of five men each left in June 
to return by air; they included Sgt. Harold L. Smith, Tec 4 Freddie Turner, Cpl. Basil Stewart, Tec 5 
Milton V. Walcher, Pfc. Victor D. Underwood, S/Sgt. Willard H. May, Sgt. Jack D. Caraway, Cpl. 
Hilbert L. Vela, Tec 5 Tommy S. Neal and Pvt. John A. Goforth. On. July 4th a large party left consi¬ 
sting of S Sgt. Roy C. Williams, Jr., S/Sgt. Clint E. Franklin, Cpl. Newton F. Purdy, S/Sgt. Jack D. Ed¬ 
wards, 1st Sgt. Michael J. Washenberger, T/Sgt. Robert N. Zellner, 1st Sgt. Dominic Hermann, S/Sgt. John 
L. Manor, S/Sgt. Noble Allen, Cpl. Luman L. Preston, Tec 5 Allison C. Gay, S/Sgt. Troy A. Cherry, S/Sgt. 
Nicholas J. Giardina; this group included some of the “old timers” from the regimental days, and their 
wholesale departure was a sad occasion. Finally on July 10th a mass transfer of the remaining “high 
point” men will clear the unit of many other familiar faces. 

Thus, it is the end of the road for many of us with the Battalion, and it will be a sad occasion for 
us to leave the unit where we have served so long. Tne announcement of the transfer of Lt. Col. Shoemaker 
comes as an additional blow, for he has been associated with the Battalion since our activation and has 
symbolized our proud descent from the 18th Field Artillery Regiment. To his successor and to those who 

will occupy our humble shoes, with sorrow in leaving, with joy in our rich memories and friendships- 

and with just a trace of envy — we wish the best of luck and success in carrying on the spirit and tra¬ 
ditions of Cobweb-THE BEST BATTALION IN THE U. S. ARMY! 


63 



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PART TWO 


THE FACTS 



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66 


ABOVE FORMATION OF PERSONS DECORATED. 
















AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 


693RD FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION 


OFFICERS 


Capt. Bang, Jens E. W. Jr. Bronze Star Medal and Purple 

Heart 

1st Lt. Brown, Lawrence D. Bronze Star Medal 
Captain Bolson, Harry B. Bronze Star Medal 
1st Lt. Brunacci, Guy F. Bronze Star Medal 
Captain Corby, Jay L. Silver Star 
Major Dittmann, Mathew 

C. Jr. Bronze Star Medal 

1st Lt. Haley, Norman R. Bronze Star Medal with Oak-Leaf 

Cluster: Purple Heart: Croix de 
Guerre with star 

1st Lt. Hannon, Joseph F. Air Medal with Three Oak-Leaf 

Clusters 

Captain Kinder, Gordon T. Bronze Star Medal 
1st Lt. Kochiakian, Vaughn Air Medal with Four Oak-Leaf 
Clusters 

1st Lt. Malicoat, Roland E. Purple Heart: Air Medal with 
Five Oak-Leaf Clusters 


1st Lt. McLeod, Daniel S. 
1st Lt. Morris, John H. 
Capt. Schmidt, Kenneth E. 
Lt. Col. Shoemaker, Ray¬ 
mond L. Jr. 

1st Lt. Strong, Qharles P. 

1st Lt. Tedesco, Louis V. 
Captain Torrington, Fran¬ 
cis R. 

1st Lt. Tufts, Henry H. 
Major Turner, Mitchell H. 

Jr- 

Captain Walch, Jack A. 
1st Lt. Wright, Richard P. 
1st Lt. Zeanah, Hugh W. 


Purple Heart 
Bronze Star Medal 
Bronze Star Medal 

Bronze Star Medal with Oak-Leaf 
Cluster: Purple Heart 
Silver Star: Bronze Star Medal: 
Purple Heart 
Bronze Star Medal 

Bronze Star Medal 
Bronze Star Medal 

Bronze Star Medal 

Bronze Star Medal 

Bronze Star Medal 

Air Medal with one Oak-Leaf 

Cluster 


HQ & HQ BATTERY 


Astolfi, Paul V. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Manor, John L. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Beaudoen, Franklyn L. 

Combat Infantry Badge 

Neal, Tommy S. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Betterton, Roy L. 

Certificate of Merit 

Noyes, Claire M. 

Bronze Star Medal with one Oak- 

Chastain, Carter C. 

Certificate of Merit 


Leaf Cluster 

Deck, Everett N. 

Purple Heart 

Perry, Lloyd L. 

Certificate of Merit 

Downs, J. A. 

Bronze Star Medal with one Oak- 

Query, Garold P. 

Bronze Star Medal 


Leaf Cluster; Certificate of Merit 

Reynolds, Harry D. 

Bronze Arrowhead 

Drees, Harry J. 

Bronze Star Medal; Purple Heart; 

Ruppell, Henry K. 

Combat Infantry Badge 


Combat Infantry Badge 

Smith, Ben W. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Fitzgerald, Paul L. 

Certificate of Merit; Bronze Star 


Merit 


Medal 

Smith, John E. 

Certificate of Merit 

Foster, Rufus C. Jr. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Stoddard, Roy 

Purple Heart; Combat Infantry 

Goforth, John A. 

Bronze Star Medal 


Badge 

Hardy, Frederick T. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Tennyson, Alfred V. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Hendrix, Samuel J. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Toone, Leo C. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Hill, Elmer A. 

Certificate of Merit 

Usleton, Thomas H. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Howell, William L. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Williams, Roy C. Jr. 

Bronze Star Medal 


Merit 

Woods, Emmette W. 

Certificate of Merit 


SERVICE BATTERY 


Cassell, Jim T. 

Certificate of Merit 

Fookes James L. 

Purple Heart; Bronze Star Medal 

Chavez, Doroteo L. 

Certificate of Merit 

Goforth, John A. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Coffin, Louis H. 

Certificate of Merit 

Grant, Robert E. L. 

Purple Heart; Combat Infantry 

Currier, Lenard J. 

Purple Heart 


Badge 

Essmeier, William 

Bronze Star Medal 

Hilton, Phaniel 

Bronze Star Medal 


67 


Hurst, Cleo E. 

Purple Heart 

Naimoli, James 

Certificate of Merit 

Keller, Benjamin A. 

Certificate of Merit 

Reeves, Roscoe 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Levendosky, John L. 

Purple Heart; Combat Infantry 


Merit 


Badge 

Richardson, Ralph R. 

Purple Heart 

Marshall, Lowell D. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Smoot, Frank W. 

Purple Heart; Certificate of Merit 


Merit 

Ward, Robert A. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

McGraw, Gerald J. 

Purple Heart: Combat Infantry 


Merit 


Badge 

Whisnand, G. W. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Miller, Ralph R. 

Certificate of Merit 


Merit 

Mozingo, Leonard M. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Zellner, Robert N. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 


Merit 


Merit 


MEDICAL 

DETACHMENT 



Paliki, Frank P. Bronze Star Medal with one Oak-Leaf 

Cluster 


BATTERY “A” 


Antonelli, Harry 

Combat Infantry Badge 

Holbrook, Foster 

Combat Infantry Badge 

Askelson, Arnold 

Purple Heart; Combat Infantry 

Hudman, Paul F. 

Purple Heart; Combat Infantry 


Badge 


Badge 

Bowman, Charles L. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Johnson, Glen H. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 


Merit 


Merit 

Caudill, Orville 

Purple Heart; Combat Infantry 

Johnston, Thomas R. 

Certificate of Merit 


Badge 

Jones, Charles E. 

Certificate of Merit 

Clevenger, William S. 

Certificate of Merit 

Kirk, Author R. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Dominek, Johnnie L. 

Certificate of Merit 

May, Willard H. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Dudley, Howell E. 

Purole Heart; Combat Infantry 

Parker, Charlie F. 

Bronze Star Medal 


Badge 

Punches, Wesley C. 

Bronze Star Medal 

English, Lero”- J. 

Purple Heart 

Repta, Steve Jr. 

Purple Heart 

Geu, Dallas 

Certificate of Merit 

Shillinglaw, Morion O. 

Certificate of Merit 

Hermann, Dominic 

Bronze Star Medal 

Torneo, Joe R. 

Combat Infantry Badge 

Hicks, Forrest M. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Ward, Thomas S. 

Certificate of Merit 

Hill, W. J. 

Purple Heart with one Oak-Leaf 

Werrell, Ira L. 

Bronze Star Medal 


Cluster; Certificate of Merit 

Worrell, Howard P. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Hirschmann, Henry 

Purple Heart; Certificate of Merit 


Merit 


BATTERY “B” 


Andrews, John J. 

Combat Infantry Badge 

Keeler, Lewis E. 

Purple Heart 

Barrientes, Raymond R. 

fr. Bronze Star Medal 

Lilley, William A. 

Purple Heart; Certificate of Merit 

Beeler, Hazen C. 

Purple Heart with one Oak-Leaf 

Makowiec, Leo A. 

Certificate of Merit 

Caraway, Jack D. 

Cluster 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Mathews, Robert E. 
Mazarakis, James 

Certificate of Merit 

Certificate of Merit 

DeRossett, Joe 

Dryden, Wesley I. 

Merit 

Combat Infantry Badge 

Certificate of Merit 

Merriman, Rex H. 

Misel, Fred J. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 
Merit 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Edwards, Jack D. 
Elledge, Clyde J. 

Purple Heart; Certificate of Merit 
Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Pelletier, Joseph O. 

Merit 

Combat Infantry Badge 

Flannery, John P. 
Franklin, Clint E. 

Merit 

Certificate of Merit 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Phillips, Henry M. 

Purdy, Newton F. 

Purple Heart; Combat Infantry 
Badge; Distinguished Unit Badge 
Certificate of Merit 

Ginger, Lester M. 

Merit 

Bronze Star Medal 

Raper, Chloeta D. 
Russell, John H. 

Certificate of Merit 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 

Graf, George D. 

Graves, Haroid W. 

Bronze Star Medal; Purple Heart 
Certificate of Merit 

Sides, Carlton J. 

Merit 

Bronze Star Medal 

Ibarra, Salvador 

Purple Heart 

Smith, Harold L. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Isham, Robert T. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Wyatt, Theodore R. 

Purple Heart 


68 


BATTERY “C” 


Allen, Noble 

Bronze Star Medal 

Baltrus, Joseph F. 

Purple Heart; Combat Infantry 


Badge 

Barrick, Earl E. 

Purple Heart with one Oak-Leaf 


Cluster 

Brown, William A. F. 

Certificate of Merit 

Cherry, Troy A. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Downey, Eugene M. 

Bronze Star Medal; Purple Heart; 


Certificate of Merit 

Durbin, William E. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Elliot, Charles T. 

Certificate of Merit 

Fleming, Carroll 

Purple Heart 

Fultz, James C. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Gay, Allison C. 

Certificate of Merit 

Howard, L. V. 

Certificate of Merit 

Kane, Frederick W. 

Purple Heart 

Kelso, Glen O. 

Purple Heart 

Lane, Richard C. 

Purple Heart 


Moticka, Joseph F. 

Purple Heart; Combat Infan •tv 
Badge 

Neff, William H. 

Certificate of Merit 

Owens, Charles D. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Pierce, James L. 

Bronze Star Medal 

Rains, Louis E. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 
Merit 

Schroeder, Aloysius F. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 
Merit 

Sparks, Paul C. 

Bronze Star Medal; Certificate of 
Merit 

Tate, Charles E. 

Certificate of Merit 

Tolson, Roy L. 

Purple Heart; Combat Infantry 
Badge 

Trejo, Pete 

Purple Heart; Combat Infantry 
Badge 

Tucker, Emmitt M. 

Certificate of Merit 

Washenberger, Michael J. Bronze Star Medal 


69 


ATTACHMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS 


First U. S. Army: 
Third U. S. Army: 
Seventh U. S. Army: 


XV Corps: 
VI Corps: 

90th Infantry Division: 
79th Infantry Division: 
44th Infantry Division: 

45th Infantry Division: 

3rd Infantry Division: 
42nd Infantry Division: 

173rd Field Artillery Croup: 


693RD FA BATTALION 

29 July 1944 to 8 May 1945 

ARMIES 

29 Jul 44 to 31 Jul 44; 24 Aug 44 to 29 Aug 44 
1 Aug 44 to 24 Aug 44; 29 Aug 44 to 28 Sep 44 

28 Sep 44 to 8 May 45 

CORPS 

29 Jul 44 to 19 Jan 45; 10 Feb 45 to 8 May 45 
20 Jan 45 to 10 Feb 45 

DIVISIONS 

31 Jul 44 to 15 Aug 44 (attached to or reinforced fires of 344th FA Bn 
and 345th FA Bn) 

16 Aug 44 to 29 Aug 44; 10 Sep 44 to 24 Oct 44 (attached to or rein¬ 
forced fires of 310th FA Bn and 311th FA Bn) 

25 Oct 44 to 27 Nov 44; 2 Dec 44 to 20 Jan 45; 10 Feb 45 to 15 Mar 45 
(attached to or reinforced fires of 156th FA Bn, 217th FA Bn and 220th 
FA Bn) 

27 Nov 44 to 2 Dec 44; 20 Jan 45 to 10 Feb 45 (attached to or reinforced 
fires of 158th FA Bn; Direct Support of 36th Engineer Regiment) 

15 Mar 45 to 20 Apr 45; 29 Apr 45 to 7 May 45 (attached to or reinfor¬ 
ced fires of 10th FA Bn, 39th FA Bn and 41st FA Bn) 

20 Apr 45 to 29 Apr 45 (attached to or reinforced fires of 232th FA Bn 
and 392th FA Bn) 

FIELD ARTILLERY GROUPS 

29 Jul 44 to 31 Jul 44; 15 Aug 44 to 16 Aug 44; 29 Aug 44 to 10 Sep 
44; 7 May 45 to 8 May 45 


70 


LETTERS OF COMMENDATION 


HEADQUARTERS 

XV CORPS UNITED STATES ARMY 
Office of the Commanding General 


(A) 

SUBJECT: Commendation. 

TO : Commanding General, XV Corps Artillery. 


APO 436, U. S. Army 
4 September 1944 


1. It is a great pleasure to publish the following commendation from the Commanding General, Third 
United States Army: 

“1. YOUR CORPS HAS MOST EXPEDITIOUSLY ACCOMPLISHED ITS MISSION OF SE¬ 
CURING A POSITION IN THE VICINITY OF MANTES GASSICOURT, HOLDING A 
BRIDGEHEAD EAST OF THE SEINE RIVER AT MANTES GASSICOURT, AND DENYING 
THE USE OF CROSSING SITES TO THE ENEMY AS FAR NORTH AS LOUVIERS. 

“2. THE AGGRESSIVE AND EFFICIENT MANNER IN WHICH THIS MISSION HAS BEEN 
CARRIED OUT REFLECTS GREAT CREDIT UPON THE CORPS IN KEEPING WITH THE 
HIGH TRADITIONS OF THE SERVICE AND UPON YOU AS ITS COMMANDING GENE¬ 
RAL. YOUR ABILITY TO ACCEPT CALCULATED RISKS WITHOUT BECOMING INVOL¬ 
VED IN UNWARRANTED DELAYS HAS CONTRIBUTED SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE 
SUCCESSFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE MISSION. 


“3. YOU AND THE PERSONNEL OF YOUR COMMAND ARE HEREBY HIGHLY COM¬ 
MENDED FOR YOUR SPLENDID ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THIS MISSION.” 

2. I desire personally to thank you and every member of your command for the splendid accomplish¬ 
ment of every task assigned. You achievement as a first class fighting unit is playing a large part in 
the liquidation of the German Army which is our eventual goal. My best wishes to you and your command 
for continued success. 

WADE N. HAISLIP 


☆ 


Major General, U. S. Army, 
Commanding 


1st Ind. JAB/pfm 

Headquarters, XV Corps Artillery, APO 436, U. S. Army, 9 September 1944. 

TO: Commanding Officer, 173rd FA Group, APO 403, U. S. Army. 

1. The commendation and sentiments from the Commanding Generals, Third U. S. Army, and XV 
Corps are transmitted to you with a great deal of pleasure and with much pride in the splendid accom¬ 
plishment of the field artillery in the actions concerned. 

2. I feel that the operations of the Corps Artillery were so successful because of a burning desire to 
assist our infantry and armor to the utmost in the achievement of a total victory over the Germans; and 


71 


because all ranks of the Corps Artillery proceeded most vigorously and intelligently to translate this desire 
into acts which would give our supported troops more help even than had been expected or hoped for. 
With such a high purpose, I feel that our future blows will continue to make the tasks of our arms in¬ 
creasingly easier and less costly. 

3. It is desired that this letter be distributed through channels to include batteries. 


☆ 

2nd Ind. 


EDWARD S. OTT 
Brigadier General, U. S. Army 
Commanding 

WSN/hdr. 


HEADQUARTERS 173rd FIELD ARTILLERY GROUP, APO 403, U. S. Army. 
12 September 1944. 


TO: Commanding Officers, 182nd FA Bn 

242nd FA Bn 
693rd FA Bn 
961st FA Bn 
Hq Btry, 173rd FA Gp. 

1. The battalions of this Group fired, during the Mantes-Gassicourt operation, eleven thousand five 
hundred rounds of ammunition, or a total of some 570 tons. A good deal of this had to be hauled 125 
miles. In addition, all battalions displaced several times, usually under difficult conditions. For several 
successive days they were under frequent air attack. Nevertheless, a very large number of the enemy were 
known to have been destroyed by the fire of our batteries. At least three German tanks were knocked out. 
Several German attacks were “stopped cold.” In the final attack of the corps the units comprising this 
Group played their part by the delivery of incessant massed fires, many of them observed missions. 

2. The commendations of the higher commanders are richly deserved by the officers and men. The 
Group Commander can only add: “Well done! The hard, conscientious work and gallantry of all con¬ 
cerned was an inspiration; and the skillful execution of all orders a pattern for others to follow.” 


W. S. NYE 
Colonel, F. A. 
Commanding 


HEADQUARTERS 
XV CORPS ARTILLERY 

APO 436 5 September 1944 

SUBJECT: Performance of Combat Duty. 

TO : Commanding Officer, 173rd FA Gp. 


1. The following extracts from a personal letter from the Artillery Commander covering the trans¬ 
mittal of the division order are published for the information of the command: 

“That Corps Artillery of yours, by the way, has a fine fighting spirit. They depended on 
no one for their local security and would fight at the drop of a hat, as all good artillerymen 
should. The occasion of these awards was probably tho Rrst time in history when the flank of a 


72 


division was protected by a medium battalion with a heavy battalion in direct support. This 
situation continued most of one day and during that day the 961st FA Bn, still pointing east at 
1000, was suddenly shifted to the northwest at 1100, 100, to the northeast at 1500, and changed po¬ 
sition at 1800 to get inside the outpost line and prepared to fire north. 1 don’t think they fired 
a round of artillery ammunition during this period, but the threats to our flank were real. Never¬ 
theless, the only threat developed was broken up by the heavy battalion. The 693rd didn’t do 
so badly either. If I remember correctly they captured around 200 prisoners. On one occasion they 
were attacked by Heinies while marching and in the scrap that followed the 693rd, with no cas¬ 
ualties to itself, accounted for five dead Germans, seven wounded ones, and nineteen prisoners .” 

2. Such high words of praise from this Division Artillery Commander should be a source of satisfac¬ 
tion to all of the XV Corps Artillery who took part in the breakthrough from Avranches; that our 
standard is high is evidenced by the above remarks; that we are living up to our standards is evidenced 
by the awards given these five enlisted men. 

EDWARD S. OTT 


☆ 


Brigadier General, U. S. Army 
Commanding 


1st Ind. 

HEADQUARTERS 173rd FIELD ARTILLERY GROUP, APO 403, U. S. ARMY. 

7 September 1944. 

TO: Commanding Officer, 693rd FA Bn. 

1. The Group Commander takes great pleasure in transmitting to battalions concerned, this fine 
praise of the Division Artillery Commander, 90th Division Artillery . The praise was deserved . 

2. During this initial contact with the enemy, personnel comprising the units of this group conducted 
themselves in a manner befitting the highest tradition of the service. 

W. S. NYE 
Colonel, F. A. 
Commanding 

☆ 


HEADQUARTERS 
SIXTH ARMY GROUP 
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL 
APO 23 


13 January 1945 

SUBJECT: Commendation. 

TO : Commanding General, Headquarters 44th Infantry Division, APO 44. 

THRU: Commanding General, Seventh Army, APO 758. 

Since the night of 31 December 1944 the 44th Infantry Division has achieved new successes. Receiving 
the initial impetus of the main enemy attack on the evening of January 2, you maintained the integrity 
of your defense in the face of determined and repeated attacks by the German 17th SS Panzer Grenadier 
Division, supported by strong elements of two Infantry Divisions. The stubborn resistance of your Infan¬ 
try elements, supported by artillery action, the devestating power and accuracy of which was unsurpassed, 
is outstanding. You repulsed, with exceedingly heavy losses to the enemy, several strong attacks on Janu- 


73 



ary 1, and numerous other attacks and continuous aggressive action since that date. The collective galantry 
and superb fighting qualities of the 44th Division compelled the enemy to shift his main forces to another 
area. I congratulate every member of the Division and its supporting units for these courageous and success¬ 
ful actions. 

JACOB L. DEVERS 
Lieutenant General, U. S. Army 
Commanding 

☆ 


2nd Ind. 

Hq 44th Div Arty, APO 44, U. S. Army, 21 Jan 45. 

TO: Commanding Officer, 693rd Field Artillery Battalion. 

1. With reference to sentence in basic communication concerning artillery action, cognizance is taken 
of the fact that this includes the fires of the 693rd Field Artillery Battalion, and that the commendation 
for the Division and its supporting elements includes your Battalion. 

2. I take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation for the superior assistance furnished the Divi¬ 
sion Artillery not only as mentioned above, but during all other phases of operation in which your Bat¬ 
talion participated. 

WILLIAM A. BEIDERLINDEN 
Brigadier General, U. S. Army 
Commanding 

☆ 


HEADQUARTERS VI CORPS ARTILLERY 
APO 46 US ARMY 

14 February 1945 

SUBJECT: Appreciation of Services. 

TO : Commanding Officer, 693rd FA Battalion, APO 758, U. S. Army. 

THRU : Commanding General, Headquarters XV Corps, APO 436, U. S. Army. 


1. I desire to express my appreciation for the services rendered by your command while attached to 
the VI Corps. 

2. You arrived at an extremely critical time and promptly occupied positions. You accomplished your 
mission of direct support in a superior manner in spite of lack of personnel for such a mission. Such a 
performance reflects great credit on all members of your battalion. Your smooth and efficient execution 
of a difficult withdrawal in extremely bad weather, indicates a high state of training and morale. 

3. I desire that you transmit to all members of your battalion my heartiest congratulations on a job 
well done. 

CARL A. BAEHR 
Brigadier General, U. S. Army 
Commanding 


☆ 


74 


1st Ind. 


AG 201.2-(E) 

(14 Feb 45) 

HEADQUARTERS XV CORPS, APO 436, U. S. Army, 19 February 1945. 

TO : Commanding Officer, 693rd Field Artillery Battalion. 

THRU: Commanding General, XV Corps Artillery, APO 436, U. S. Army. 

I desire to add my appreciation to that of General Baehr for the superior manner in which you ac¬ 
complished your mission while attached to the VI Corps. 

WADE H. HAISLIP 
Major General, U. S. Army 
Commanding 

☆ 


AG 201.22-(E) 
(14 Feb 45) 


2nd Ind. 


JCK/pfm 


HEADQUARTERS XV CORPS ARTILLERY APO 436, U. S. Army, 24 February 1945. 
TO : Commanding Officer, 693rd Field Artillery Battalion. 


THRU: Commanding General, 44th Infantry Division, APO 44, U. S. Army. 


1. The appreciation of the services of your battalion when employed with comparatively strange units 
and commanders speaks highly of the skill and cooperative attitude of all ranks. That the efforts of all 
ranks measurably affected the outcome of the campaign should be a source of satisfaction to each indi¬ 
vidual. 

2. It is desired that this letter and its indorsements be read to all members of the command. 


☆ 


EDWARD S. OTT 
Brigadier General, U. S. Army 
Commanding 


AG 201.22 (14 Feb 45) 3rd Ind ' 

Hq 44th Inf Div, APO 44, U. S. Army, 27 Feb 45. 

THRU: Commanding General, 44th Division Artillery. 

TO : Commanding Officer, 693rd Field Artillery Battalion. 
I am pleased to forward this commendation. 


WILLIAM F. DEAN 
Brigadier General, United States Army 
Commanding 


4th Ind. 

AG 201.22 

Hq 44th Div Arty, APO 44, U. S. Army, 6 Mar 45. 

TO: Commanding Officer, 693rd Field Artillery Battalion. 

1. The excellent services rendered by your unit while attached to the VI Corps as expressed in the 
basic communication, are exemplary of the .fine assistance which has been felt during the periods your unit 
has been attached to this command. 


75 


2. It is with great pleasure that I forward this commendation to you. 


☆ 


WILLIAM BEIDERLINDEN 
Brigadier General, U. S. Army 
Commanding 


HEADQUARTERS 

THIRD INFANTRY DIVISION ARTILLERY 
APO 3 

26 April 1945 

SUBJECT: Commendation. 

TO : Commanding Officer, 693rd Field Artillery Battalion, APO 758, U. S. Army. 


The Third Infantry Division Artillery has been very fortunate to have had the services of your bat¬ 
talion during the final blow which will destroy the enemy. Though your missions were frequently changed 
to give artillery reinforcement where it was most urgently needed, you accepted each assignment cheerfully, 
and as a result, I heard nothing but praise from my organic Battalion Commanders with whom you work¬ 
ed. You showed remarkable ingenuity in selecting positions, and your aggressiveness, speed, accuracy and 
flexibility aided this Division materially during the period of your attachment. 

I regret to see you leave us, and I hope that you will pass on to your officers and men, whose copper- 
ative efforts have made this association so profitable, my appreciation and congratulations on a job well 
done. 

W. T. SEXTON 


☆ 


Brigadier General, USA 
Commanding 


HEADQUARTERS 
XV CORPS ARTILLERY 
APO 436 
U. S. ARMY 

26 June 1945 

Dear Lieutenant Colonel Shoemaker: 


The XV Corps Artillery has been very fortunate to have had the services of your fine battalion during 
all the campaigns in which the XV Corps participated. Your battalion has served under almost every 
condition. It has supported six different divisions, one cavalry group, one engineer regiment, and one infan¬ 
try regiment. It has been engaged in all types of action from a stabilized front to a completely fluid 
situation. In all situations the units supported by your battalion could always count on complete artillery 
support. No finer tribute could be paid a unit than the many expressions of appreciation from the or¬ 
ganizations your battalion supported. 

I am very happy to have had you serve with us and wish you would pass on to all your officers and 
men my appreciation for the fine job that they did. 

Sincerely, 


EDWARD S. OTT 
Brigadier General, U. S. Army 
Commanding 


76 


MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICS 


NUMBER OF DAYS IN COMBAT MILES TRAVELED (COMBAT) 

284 1700 (approximate) 

FIRING POSITIONS BIVOUACS 

99 11 

TOTAL ROUNDS FIRED 

76,203 

HEAVIEST DAY OF FIRING 

Date: Twenty four hour period 18—19 March 1945. 

Target: Siegfried Line installations. 

Rounds fired: 2744. 

COMMUNICATIONS 

Total number miles of wire laid: 800. (approximate) 

Most wire out at one time: 130 miles while in position at Siltzheim. 

9 switchboards were in use on this net. 

Longest sustained operation for radio: Headquarters Battery SCR 193 Radio was in continuous operation, 
with the exception of 48 hours, during the entire 284 days of combat. 

PRISONERS: 

Total captured: 372. 

Record Month: 156, August 1944. 

Record Day: 146 on August 8th, 1944. 


TUBES REPLACED 
7 


THE 693RD FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION CREDITED WITH FIRING FIRST AND LAST 
ROUNDS BY XV CORPS ARTILLERY IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER: 

First Round 

Battery: Able 

Place: Ste. Suzanne, France 

Time: 1550, 7 August 1944 

Target: Enemy Infantry and 88 mm Gun 

Type of Shell: WP 

Effect: Gun silenced, area neutralized 

Battalion Commander: Lt. Col. Ergo Iosbaker 

Battery Commander: Capt. Francis R. Torrington 

Executive: 1st Lt. Robert B. Ingalls 

Observer: 1st Lt. Norman R. Haley 

Fire Direction Computer: Cpl. Garold P. Query 

Chief of Section: S/Sgt. Wesley Punches 

Gunner Corporal: Cpl. James H. Dennis 

Gun Crew: Pfc. Clarence H. Bray; Pfc. Earl R. Kohal; Pfc. Charlie Plake; Pvt. Buddy E. Copeland; 

Pvt. Aubrey D. Norris; Pvt. Larry L. Baker; Pvt. Serveriano Huerta 
Driver: Pfc. Milton V. Walcher 

Notes: Gun position strafed by enemy plane. First two PW’s captured. 


77 



Last Round 
Battery: Baker 

Place: Vicinity Piding, Germany. Map coordinate: yZ 9624 
Time: 1031, 4 May 1945 
Target: Enemy Infantry 
Type of shell: HE 

Effect: Area neutralized. Zone (1) fired for effect 
Data for fire for effect: Range 10,400, SI 301, El 484 
Battalion Commander: Lt. Col. R. L. Shoemaker, Jr. 

Battery Commander: Capt. Jack A. Walch 

Battery Executive: 1st Lt. Henry H. Tuffs 

Observer: Infantry observer with 7th Infantry Regiment 

Fire Direction Computer: Tec 5 Robert W. Queen 

Chief of Section: Sgt. Clyde J. Elledge 

Gunner Corporal: Cpl. Arlie L. LeGrant 

Gun Grew: Pfc. Clyde R. Yost; Pfc. Jesse F. Wood; Pfc. Clarence C. Eckert; Pfc. Robert E. Fischer; Pfc. 

James Mazarakis; Pfc. George Tomlinson; Pvt. Henry M. Phillips; Pvt. Raymond E. Phillips. 
Driver: Granvle R. Norton 


78 



OFFICERS 

693RD FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION 


May 


NAME 

RANK 

Baird, John N. Jr. 

2d Lt 

Baker, Floyd M. 

2d Lt 

Bang, Jens W. E. Jr. 

Capt 

Beare, Paul E. 

1st Lt 

Bolson, Harry B. 

Capt 

Brown, Laurence D. 

2d Lt 

Brunacci, Guy F. 

1st Lt 

Collura, Johnnie F. 

WOJG 

Corby, Jay L. 

Cape 

Dittmann, Matthew C. Jr. 

Major 

Eades, Odis N. 

cwo 

Haley, Norman R. 

1st Lt 

Hannon, Joseph F. 

1st Lt 

Ingalls, Robert B. 

1st Lt 

Kinder, Gordon T. 

Capt 

Kochakian, Vaughn 

1st Lt 

Malicoat, Roland E. 

1st Lt 

McLeod, Daniel S. 

1st Lt 

Morris, John H. 

1st Lt 

Parkhurst, Cyril I. 

1st Lt 

Schmidt, Kenneth E. 

Capt 

Shoemaker, Raymond L. Jr. 

Lt Col 

Strong, Charles P. 

1st Lt 

Tedesco, Louis V. 

1st Lt 

Torrington, Francis R. 

Capt. 

Tufts, Henry H. 

1st Lt 

Turner, Mitchell H. Jr. 

Major 

Walch, Jack A. 

Capt 

Wilson, Malcolm E. 

Capt 

Wright, Richard P. 

1st Lt 

Young, John C. 

1st Lt 

Zeanah, Hugh W. 

1st Lt 

OTHER 

OFFICERS WHO 

July 14, 1944 

Christoph, Charles J. 

1st Lt 

Hanes, Stuart W. 

2d Lt 

Hardzinski, Alec F. 

1st Lt 

Iosbaker, Ergo 

Lt Col 

Marshall, Adrian 

Capt 

Pearce, Charles W. 

2d Lt 

Pletcher, Ernest R. 

2d Lt 

Suffin, Gustave D. 

2d Lt 


8, 1945 

HOME ADRESS 

111 Buena Vista Ave., San Francisco, California 
Plainview, Texas 

Eagle Valley Road, Sloatsburg, N. Y. 

2068 Seward Ave., Detroit, Mich. 

1301 Forest Ave., Ft Wayne, Ind. 

2424 Pleasant Ave., Ft Wayne, Ind. 

7840 Maryland, Chicago, Ill. 

5543 Truett Ave., Houston, Texas 
95 N. Edgewood Ave., La Grange, Ill. 

911 Glenbrook, Bryn Mawr, Pa. 

410 Gore Ave., Lawton, Okla. 

Gen. Del., Hatfield, Missouri 

105 South St., Rutland, Vermont 

839 South 7th East St., Salt Lake City, Utah 

908 National Road, Bridgeport, Ohio 

52 Mt. Dustin Ave., Haverhill, Mass. 

Route No. 6, Kokomo, Indiana 
Smerritt St., Geneva, Ala. 

9 High St., Peterboro, New Hampshire 
Castleton, Kansas 

1535 W. Ashby St., San Antonio, Tex. 
c/o Col. I. R. Cole, 2858 Alpine Road, N. E., At¬ 
lanta, Georgia 

525 West 1st St., Maryville, Mo. 

451 Potomac, Buffalo, N. Y. 

The Dingle, Cumberland, Maryland 
30 Dustin St., Peabody, Mass. 

224 Ave. L. S. W., Childress, Tex. 

502 S. Kansas, Cherokee, Okla. 

148 S. Main St., Tooele, Utah 
Route No. 6, Paris, Texas 
331 Forest Ave., Ben Avon, Pa. 

Berry, Alabama 

SERVED DURING COMBAT 
to May 8, 1945 

18 Rowe St., Melrose, Mass. 

Fifield, Wisconsin 
Grinnell, Iowa 
Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Bronx, N. Y. 


HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS BATTERY 
693RD FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION 


May 



Arvanis, Grant C., Box 321, East Moline, Illinois 
Astolfi, Paul V., 1321 S. Liddesdale, Detroit, Michigan 
Baker, Robie, Route No. 2, Center, Texas 
Barnhart, Charles E., Box 191, Drumright, Oklahoma 
Baskin, Roma B., 4225 Milton St., Houston, Texas 
Beaudoen, Franklyn L., 616 Howard St., Bay City, Michigan 
Best, Eugene W., 219 N. 8th St., Hamilton, Ohio 
Betterton, Roy L., 412 S. Pecan St., Nowata, Oklahoma 
Blackburn, Charles A., General Delivery, Rexburg, Idaho 
Brown, Sidney R., 5634 Pearl Rd., Parma, Ohio 
Butler, Grover E., Route No. 1, Batesville, Arkansas 
Carlsward, Willis L., Route No. 3, Red Oak, Iowa 
Caudle, Elmer L., Route No. 1, Maud, Oklahoma 
Chabner, Allen C., 737 S. Independence Blvd., Chicago, 
Illinois 

Chapman, Ramie L., General Delivery, Brownfield, Texas 
Chastain, Carter C., Adams Route, Pawhuska, Oklahoma 
Conterez, Jesse G., General Delivery, Pittsburg, Oklahoma 
Cramer, Charles B., 3147 N. 45th St., Milwaukee, Wis¬ 
consin 

Cranford, David L., Wolf Bayou, Arkansas 
Deck, Everett N., 1137 W. 37th Place, Tulsa, Oklahoma 
Downs, J. A., 322 16th St., Seal Beach, California 
Drees, Harry J., 8516 Douglas Ave. St. Louis, Missouri 
Edinger, Robert W., 217 S. Jefferson St., Woodstock, 
Illinois 

Fackler, Wallace O., Route No. 2, Bucyrus, Ohio 
Fitzgerald, Paul L., Box 15, Knox City, Texas 
Flowers, Alf H., General Delivery, Saratoga, Texas 
Flowers, Andrew J. Jr., Route No. 1, Idabel, Oklahoma 
Foster, Bill, General Delivery, Whiteboro, Oklahoma 
Foster Rufus C. Jr., General Delivery, Paris, Arkansas 


, 1945 



Giardina, Nicholas J., 2503 Ulric St., San Deigo, California 
Guajardo, Eddie S., 318 Blum St., San Antonio, Texas 
Hainey, Tommy, 526 W. California, Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Hammon, Harold G., Box 71, Choctaw, Oklahoma 
Hand, Robert L., General Delivery, Skellytown, Texas 
Hanna, Randall E., General Delivery, McAlester, Oklahoma 
Hardy, Frederick T., General Delivery, Tabor, Iowa 
Harris, Ivan L., 2212 N. E. 22nd St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Henderson, Albert R., 769 2nd Ave., San Bruno, California 
Hendrix, Samuel J., 411 S. 9th Ave., Durant, Oklahoma 
Hill, Elmer A., Box 236, Walters, Oklahoma 
Holmes, Ronald C., 604 N. 10th St., Woodward, Okla¬ 
homa 

Howell, William L., 1142 N. W. 32nd St., Oklahoma 
City, Oklahoma 

Huber, Merrill A., 12934 N. Barstow St., Eau Claire, 
Wisconsin 

Jacobowitz, Howard, 885 Troy Ave., Brooklyn, New York 
Johnson, Jesse L., Route No. 1, Frankewing, Tennessee 
Kellogg, Wilbur F., RFD No. 1, Council Bluffs, Iowa 
Kosovac, George J., 4 Seventh St., Watsonville, California 
Lane, Willard L., Route No. 4, Box 143, Bristow, Okla¬ 
homa 

Lawson, James W., Route No. 2, Saltilla, Mississippi 
Lensky, Carlton L., East Hazel St., Albion, Indiana 
Manor, John L., General Delivery, Shawnee, Oklahoma 
May, Leslie W., 5015 Maxwell St., Detroit, Michigan 
McBride, Clifford C., 3520 N. Kellham St., Box 383, 
C-l, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
Mendoza, Carlos C., 1608 Avenue B., Galveston, Texas 


80 






Mitchelar, Lloyd G., 127 Hellen St., Peoria, Illinois 
Moore, Glynn E., Hayfield, Virginia 
Myers, Joe R., 229 S. “C” St., Muskogee, Oklahoma 
Neal, Tommy S., 605 N. Philadelphia St., Shawnee, 
Oklahoma 

Nichols, Vernon H., Route No. 9, Box 323, Oklahoma 
City, Oklahoma 

Niemi, Toivo M., 917 North St., Clinton, Indiana 
Niswonger, Lewis L., 1035 3rd Ave., Duncanville, Penn¬ 
sylvania 

Noyes, Claire M., 105 E. 16th St., Ada, Oklahoma 
Owen, Vernon E., 1530 N. W. 2nd St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Palkovich, Fabian Jr., 4807 Homerlee Ave., East Chicago 
Indiana 

Palonis, Edward F., Route No. 1, White Cloud, Michigan 
Perales, Uvaldo M., General Delivery, Encinal, Texas 
Perry, Lloyd L., 4611 St. Paul St., Lincoln, Nebraska 
Penney, Harold A., 3339 Dorcey St., Fort Worth, Texas 
Phillips, Allen G., General Delivery, Miami, Oklahoma 
Phillips, Sim C., Box 161, Howe, Oklahoma 
Preston, Luman L., Route No. 1, Olustee, Oklahoma 
Queen, Robert W., General Delivery, Sylva, North 
Carolina 

Query, Garold P., 509 N. Davidson St., Indianapolis, 
Indiana 

Reynolds, Harry D., RFD No. 2, Freehold, New Jersey 


Ritter, William F., Route No. 3, Washington, Indiana 
Ruppell, Henry K., Sugar Hollow Rd., RFD No. 2, 
Danbury, Connecticut 

Saperstein, Solomon, 764 Trinity Ave., Bronx, New York 
Smith, Ben W., General Delivery, Barling, Arkansas 
Smith, Corwin N., 623 Monroe St., Fredonia, Kansas 
Smith, John, Williamson, West Virginia 

Smith, John Edward, 93 Irving St., Jersey City, New 
Jersey 

Spencer, Lester E., General Delivery, Blanco, Oklahoma 
Steed, Jack D., General Delivery, Afton, Wyoming 
Stoddard, Roy, 6218 S. Rockwell St., Chicago, Illinois 
Tennyson, Alfred V., RFD No. 2, Chestertown, New York 
Toone, Leo C., Box 262, Haskell, Oklahoma 
Tucker, Marshall A., Drakes Branch, Virginia 
Tull, John, Route No. 1, Shadypoint, Oklahoma 
Usleton, Thomas H., 713 N. Hayes St., Amarillo, Texas 
Waller, William M., Route No. 1, North Zulch, Texas 
Walther, John P., 4728 Knox Ave., Chicago, Illinois 
White, Earl E., Box 293, Wirt, Oklahoma 
White, James H. Jr., General Delivery, Boatman, Okla¬ 
homa 

Whitsett, Finis T., 607 N. Main St., Altus, Oklahoma 
Williams, Roy C. Jr., Route No. 1, Windom, Texas 
Wood, John H., Milford, Illinois 

Woods, Emmette W., Route No. 3, Seminole, Oklahoma 
Young, Eugene V., Hawesville, Kentucky 


OTHER ENLISTED MEN WHO SERVED DURING COMBAT 


July 14, 1944 to May 8, 1945 


Alcantara, Jose M., General Delivery, Asherton, Texas 
Clopton, Ray E., Route No. 2, Lawton, Oklahoma 
Cook, Ted R., 1217 N. Boston St., Tulsa, Oklahoma 
Dooley, Homer T., 916 N. W. 5th St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Fefer, Seymour, 3107 W. Douglas Blvd., Chicago, Illinois 
Ghini, Aaron, 429 W. 1st St., Trinidad, Colorado 
Hall, John E., General Delivery, Ponca City, Oklahoma 
Jones, Earl C., Route No. 4, Beaumont, Texas 


Parrott, Billy J., 206 Upper North, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma 
Robison, Kenneth L., Seminole, Oklahoma 
Semore, D. B., General Delivery, Heavener, Oklahoma 
Skinner, Jack E., 1609 Franklin St., Tulsa, Oklahoma 
Smith, Leo D., 513 N. Philadelphia St., Shawnee, Oklahoma 
Stempien, Casimir L., 4957 S. Avers St., Chicago, Illinois 
Wardlaw, Harold B., 1223 Pierce St., Amarillo, Texas 
Wilkerson, Luther Jr., 3221 N. W. 29th St., Fort Worth, 
Texas 


MEDICAL DETACHMENT 
693RD FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION 
May 8, 1945 


Becker, Erven, 5747 Bales Ave., Kansas City, Missouri 
Brooks, James S., Route No. 1, Marshville, North Carolina 
Ellwood, Ralph R., 702 W. Main St., Anamosa, Iowa 
Furr, James C., Route No. 3, Albemarle, North Carolina 
Gates, James R. Jr., Route No. 1, Box 241, Rainier, Oregon 
Graziano, James F., 1021 S. Main Ave., Scranton, Penn¬ 
sylvania 


Higgins, James C., Route No. 3, Lufkin, Texas 
Paliki, Frank P., 103 Wilcox St., Springfield, Massachusetts 
Parnese, Frank, 9527 90th St., Ozone Park, Long Island, 
New York 

Poppin, John, 354 S. Pecan St., Los Angeles, California 
Zimmerman, Cort A., 507 E. 5th St., Emmett, Idaho 


OTHER ENLISTED MEN WHO SERVED DURING COMBAT 
July 14, 1944 to May 8, 1945 

Giangrande, John, 2101 W. 11th St., Brooklyn, New York 


81 




SERVICE BATTERY 
693RD FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION 


May 8, 1945 



Barton, Brack P., 301 Y> S. Main St., Hobart, Oklahoma 
Bettencourt, Francis H., 917 Park Ave., Burlingame, 

California 

Bond, Curtis C., 108 S. 2nd St., Vinita, Oklahoma 
Burbank, Brigham G., 3626 Folsom St., San Francisco, 
California 

Cannon, Delbert D., Route No. 4, Chillicothe, Texas 
Cassell, Jim T., General Delivery, Kribbs, Oklahoma 
Chavez, Doroteo L., 2042 Arapahoe St., Denver, Colorado 
Christiansen, Virgil H., Route No. 1, Laurel, Nebraska 
Coffin, Louis H., 708 Interdrive, University City, Missouri 
Cooper, Gilbert, General Delivery, Mayfield, Kentucky 
Cornelious, Carlton C., 460 N. 13th St., Salem, Oregon 
Crone, Francis P., 1710 N. W. 19th St. Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Currier, Lenard J., Box 20, East Springfield, Pennsylvania 
Dunevant, William M., 115 E. Clark St., El Reno, Okla¬ 
homa 

Earnhardt, Jerry F., Route No. 1, Greenbriar, Arkansas 
Erickson, Oliver L., 207 S. Center St., Shenandoah, Iowa 
Erwin, Hollis W., General Delivery, Walker, Louisiana 
Essmeier, William, 225 E. 10th St., Leadville, Colorado 
Fookes, James L., Route No. 2, Belevue, Texas 
Foreman, Philip, Route No. 2, Cynthiana, Kentucky 
Freeman, Roy W., General Delivery, Culp, Arkansas 
Gammon, Ernest General Delivery, Carrollton, Texas 
Garcia, Marvin L., Hub Rooms, Rawlins, Wyoming 
Graham, John W., Route No. 2, Paducah, Texas 
Grant, Robert E. L., Route No. 2, Westminster, South 
Carolina 

Gugliotta, Anthony J., 1438 S. 15th St., Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania 



Halderson, J. E., 519 N. Drake Ave., Chicago, Illinois 
Harris, Bush W. Jr., Route No. 1, Gladstone, Virginia 
Helvy, Otice N., General Delivery, Snyder, Oklahoma 
Henderson, Wesley, Route No. 1, Frankston, Texas 
Hilton, Phaniel, 2017 5th St., Lubbock, Texas 
Hurst, Cleo E., 739 S. W. 32nd St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Irvine, Kenneth W., c/o A. M. Bonnell, Mountain Home, 
Arkansas 

Isaacs, Beecher S., Route No. 1, Konawa, Oklahoma 
Jackson George F., Route No. 1, Konawa, Oklahoma 
Johnson, Lewis J. Jr., General Delivery, Bowlegs, Okla¬ 
homa 

Keller, Benjamin A., Tuckerman, Arkansas 
Knowles, Vernerl C., Box 475, Riviera Beach, Florida 
Levendosky, John L., 843 Lincoln Ave., N. W., Grand 
Rapids, Michigan 

Marshall, Lowell D., Box 25, Pleasant Plains, Arkansas 
Martin, George F., General Delivery, Walco, Oklahoma 
Mattox, Lee E., 637 S. Tennessee St., Columbus, Kansas 
McCurry, Othar, 2301 N., Riverside Drive, Fort Worth, 
Texas 

McGraw, Gerald J., 78 Main St., Locust Cap, Pennsylvania 
Miller, Ralph R., 413 S. Muskogee St., Claremore, Okla¬ 
homa 

Mozingo, Leonard M., Station Hospital, Camp Howze, 
Texas 

Murphy, Thomas K., 1217 Mautene St., Chicago, Illinois 
Naimoli, James, 2524 S. 67th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
Nieland, Glenn H., Route No. 1, Box 28, Frankfort, Illinois 
O’Donnell, Daniel E., Wilburton No. 2, Pennsylvania 
Orinick, Myron, 121 Jefferson St., Simpson, Pennsylvania 


82 





Poe, Archie F. Jr., Star Route, The Grove, Texas 
Pruitt, Phines D., General Delivery, Iuka, Arkansas 
Reeves, Roscoe, Box 811, Hedley, Texas 
Richardson, Ralph R., Route No. 1, Asher, Oklahoma 
Riley, Hollice R., Route No. 1, Box 225, Columbia, 
Mississippi 

Rivera, Joseph, 158 E. 110th St., New York, N. Y. 
Sharp, William T., Route No. 1, Ravenden, Arkansas 
Sheppard, Eugene T., Route No. 1, Box 8, Purvis, North 
Carolina 

Simonich, Joseph, 1729 E. Abriendo Ave., Pueblo, Colorado 
Smith, Marshall P., 701 S. Carliste St., Alburquerque, 
New Mexico 


Smoot, Frank W., Box 296, Moulton, Alabama 
Tollett, Mark E. Jr., Box 621, Carrizo Springs, Texas 
Ward. Robert A., Route No. 2, Box 45-D, Claremore, 
Oklahoma 

Webb, Lee R., 508 S. Broadway St., Holdenville, Oklahoma 
Westerman, Otis FI., Box 1, Heber Springs, Arkansas 
Whisnand, G. W., Route No. 2, Box 96, Electra, Texas 
Williams, Trenton F., 199 Chestnut St., Apt. 1, San 
Francisco, California 

Williamson, James C., Route No. 2, Box 406, Beaumont, 
Texas 

Yarbrough, Joseph L., Route No. 1, Huntsville, Arkansas 
Zellner, Robert N., 2508 E. 2nd St., Tulsa, Oklahoma 


OTHER ENLISTED MEN WHO SERVED DURING COMBAT 
July 14, 1944 to May 8, 1945 


Curtis, Jack W, 301)4 N. Fludson St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Dunkelberger, Norman E., 1515 Euclid Ave., Lawton, 
Oklahoma 

Dunlap, George F., Route No. 9, Box 178, Phoenix, 
Arizona 

Elsey, Robert J., 1009 W. Reno St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 


Gilpin, Albert E., 911 Maple Ave., Los Angeles, California 
Guyton, Arthur L., General Delivery, Rayburn Gap., 
Georgia 

Horn, Donald C., Box 127, Apache, Oklahoma 
Rood, Albert B., 215 2nd St., N. E., Wadena, Minnesota 
Shayler, Harry C., 4617 S. Broadway St., Englewood, 
Colorado 

Stewart, Denby C., 2021 Kane St., Houston, Texas 


83 




BATTERY “A” 

693 RD FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION 


May 



Antonelli, Harry, 212 Walnut St., Norristown, Pennsylvania 
Arozian, John P., 1345 Washtenaw Ave., Detroit, Michigan 
Askelson, Arnold, 2110 7th Ave. N., Fort Dodge, Iowa 
Bailey, Virgil C., 1214 W. 5th St., Davenport, Iowa 
Ballok, Albert F., 26 W. 105th St., Chicago, Illinois 
Beasley, Max M., Box 191, Moundridge, Kansas 
Benson, Walter L., 215 Belt Ave., Eufaula, Oklahoma 
Berry, William E., 1114 Tyler St., Corpus Christi, Texas 
Bertrand, Robert J., 359 N. Harrison Ave., Kankakee, 
Illinois 

Best, Howard J., 1406 Lincoln St., Amarillo, Texas 
Boehme, Albert C., 916 Snover St., Houston, Texas 
Bolduc, George E., Bay Harbor, Florida 
Botts, Earl E., 29 S. E. 34th St., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
Bowman, Charles L., Route No. 1, West Union, Ohio 
Bray, Clarence H., 112 Ashe St., Bristol, Tennessee 
Card, Morris W., Box 575, Duncan, Oklahoma 
Carr, Edward B., 9 Railroad Ave., South Norwalk, Con¬ 
necticut 

Carr, William L., Route No. 2, Lexington, Oklahoma 
Caudill, Orville, 714 Maple St., Kingsport, Tennessee 
Chase, William K., General Delivery, Turley, Oklahoma 
Clayton, Jack J., 603 W. 5th St., Rochester, Michigan 
Clevenger, William S., General Delivery, Bartlesville, 
Oklahoma 

Davis, William C., Route No. 3, Roanoke, Alabama 
Dennis, James H., Route No. 1, Huntsville, Arkansas 
Dixon, Leonard G., 2000 Lee St., Lawton, Oklahoma 
Dominek, Johnnie L., Route No. 3, Box 138, Bryan, Texas 
Duke, Charles O., 201 Hickory St., Sweetwater, Texas 
Dudley, Howell E., Arnoldsville, Georgia 
English, Leroy J., Box 36, Tecumseh, Oklahoma 


, 1945 



Espinoza, Santos H., Box 645, Dodge City, Kansas 
Eudy, James M., Route No. 1, Donaldson, Arkansas 
Fenwick, Jack C., General Delivery, Brevard, North Carolina 
Garcia, Jose, Route No. 3, San Benito, Texas 
Garcia, Stephen W., 1944 S. Tejon St., Denver, Colorado 
Geu, Dallas, Route No. 3, Wisner, Nebraska 
Hanes, William J., 1521 N. Union St., Ponca City, Okla¬ 
homa 

Hauck, Albert, Box 354, Golden Valley, North Dakota 
Hermann, Dominic, 1325 Ash St., Lawton, Oklahoma 
Hicks, Forrest M., Route No. 3, Quitman, Arkansas 
Hill, W. J., 601K Lee St., Wichita Falls, Texas 
Hirschmann, Henry, 146 W. 168th St., New York 52, 
New York 

Holbrook, Foster, Relief, Kentucky 

Hudman, Paul F., Titus Star Route, Wetumpka, Alabama 
Huerta, Serveriano, 403 N. Santa Rosa St., San Antonio 
Texas 

Hughes, Noel S., Box 9, Marlow, Oklahoma 
Hutzel, Orval R., Route No. 2, Hot Springs, Arkansas 
Johnson, Glen H., Box 2062, Shawnee, Oklahoma 
Johnston, Thomas R., General Delivery, Washington, 
Oklahoma 

Jones, Charles E., Box 154, Olive Hill, Kentucky 

Juvinall, Donald E., 815 Goodman St., Peoria, Illinois 

Kelly, Carlie B., Sassafras, Kentucky 

King, Daniel, 351 N. Indiana St., Wichita, Kansas 

King, Robert, 5558 Maxwell St., Detroit, Michigan 

Kirk, Author R., General Delivery, Leon, Oklahoma 

Kirk, Sylvester G., 318 S. Birch St., Ponca City, Oklahoma 

Kohal, Earl R., Enright, Arkansas 

Lewis, Robert L., Box 363, Granite Falls, Washington 


84 






Lieder, Chester G., 935 Archie St., Fresno, California 
Lovell, Robert L., 1224 N. E. 10th St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Marx, William S., 647 S. Park St., Elizabeth, New Jersey 
May, Willard H., Route No. 1, Friona, Texas 
Mercer, Roy K., Jerusalem, Ohio 

Miller, Marion R., Box 23, Willowton, West Virginia 
Miller, Richard M., 716 S. Washington St., Hobart, Okla¬ 
homa 

Norris, Aubrey D., 530 E. 16th St., Huntington, West 
Virginia 

Oakley, George W., 1914 N. Charles St., Baltimore, 

Maryland 

Parker, Charlie F., Azle, Texas 
Plake, Charlie, Athens, Arkansas 

Punches, Wesley C., 214 S. 3rd St., Ponca City, Oklahoma 
Ramirez, Rickey T., 120 W. 10th St., San Angelo, Texas 
Ray, Allen C., Route No. 1, Graham, North Carolina 
Reeder, Granful W., Short, Oklahoma 
Reeder, William R., Route No. 2, 1320 N. 3rd St., Ponca 
City, Oklahoma 

Repta, Steve Jr., 4654 Lavergne Ave., Chicago, Illinois 

Rudd, John R., Route No. 2, Hart, Texas 

Settles, John P., 2254 N. Spencer St., Indianapolis, Indiana 


Shelton, Darrell W., 225 S. Center St., Shawnee, Oklahoma 
Shillinglaw, Marion O., Route No. 2, Ghinagrove, North 
Carolina 

Shope, Edward D., Route No. 3, Rockford, Ohio 
Slayton, Roy K., Vernon Hill, Virginia 
Smith, William B., 201 Netta St., Picher, Oklahoma 
Sneed, Archie L., Route No. 2, Quitman, Arkansas 
Solita, Andrew J., 1118 Wentworth Ave., Chicago Heights, 
Illinois 

Scrouse, Paul E., 388 Bridge St., Reading, Pennsylvania 
Tasovac, Vladimir S., 2764 W. St. Mary St., Chicago, Illinois 
Taylor, John W., Route No. 2, Duncan, Oklahoma 
Torneo, Joseph R., 17 Barbour St., Hartford, Connecticut 
Turner, Roy F., Route 19, Columbia Ave., East Liverpool, 
Ohio 

Walcher, Milton V., Route No. 1, Altus, Oklahoma 
Ward, Thomas S., Route No. 3, Lindsey, Oklahoma 
Werrell, Ira L., 408 E. Shintaffer St., Britton, Oklahoma 
Wiley, Harold L., 410 N. Osage St., Ponca City, Oklahoma 
Wilson, George E., Route No. 1, Spiro, Oklahoma 
Windham, James N. Jr., Box 1993, Durham, North 
Carolina 

Wolery, William R., 433 E. 8th St., Delphos, Ohio 
Worrell, Howard P., 110454 18th St., Wichita Falls, Texas 


OTHER ENLISTED MEN WHO SERVED DURING COMBAT 
July 14, 1944 to May 8, 1945 


Baker, Larry L., 1525 W. High St., Lima, Ohio 
Barker, Roy H., 4860 Bryant Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minne¬ 
sota 

Boenker, Gilbert O., 623 Monroe St., St. Charles, Missouri 
Crittenden, Robert M., 4317 Stonewall St., Greenville, Texas 
Cross, Fain M., General Delivery, Childress, Texas 
Cummings, Beal B., Route No. 2, Paducah, Texas 
Dunn, Glenn C., 730 32nd St., Oakland, California 
Feight, William H., Wonewoc, Wisconsin 
Futrell, Gerrald R., General Delivery, Soper, Oklahoma 


Gates, Arthur D., General Delivery, Taloga, Oklahoma 
Glastetter, Lawrence A., 1240 S. State Ave., Freeport, 
Illinois 

Grothe, George A., 505 S. 6th St., Chickasha, Oklahoma 
Hadley, Alvin L., c/o Midway Store, La Ward, Texas 
Lane, Clyde P., 303 Vassar St., St. Joseph, Missouri 
Maestas, Sam O., General Delivery, Fort Garland, Colorado 
Neer, Leslie G., 1515 S. 1st St., Arkansas City, Kansas 
Veres, John, 121 Belvidere Ave., Phillipsburg, New Jersey 
Witt, Robert W., Route No. 3, Lebanon, Indiana 


85 




BATTERY “B” 

693RD FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION 
May 8, 1945 



Abramson, William S., 1202 4th St., S. E., Minneapolis, 
Minnesota 

Andrews, John J., 69 Butler St., Springfield, Massachusetts 
Arguelles, Rudy V., 416 Belle St., Corona, California 
Atkinson, Oliver G., 1507 Crockett St., Houston, Texas 
Barrientes, Raymond R. Jr., 911 Lovett Ave, South San 
Antonio, Texas 

Battles, Creath O., 925 S. 4th St., Chickasha, Oklahoma 
Beeler, Hazen C., 223 Catalpa Ave., Knoxville, Tennessee 
Braa, Donald A., 739 Quincy St., Minneapolis, Minnesota 
Canter, Howard R., 7730 Emerson Rd., W. Lanham Hills, 
P. O. Hyattsville, Md. 

Caraway, Jack D., Box 56, Madill, Oklahoma 
Casias, Antonio G., Route No. 1, Box 28-A, Antonito, 
Colorado 

Cavin, Earl L., Box 11, Crescent, Oregon 
Clemons, Roy H., Route No. 8, Box 229, Dallas, Texas 
Cohen, Gary, 15 Amboy St., Brooklyn, New York 
Copley, Troy, Everettville, West Virginia 
Cranford, Mark L., Parran, Maryland 
DeRossett, Joe, Premier, West Virginia 
Dowhower, Ralph R. Jr., 42 E. Front St., Lititz, Penn¬ 
sylvania 

Dryden, Wesley I., 314 N. W. 25th St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Eckert, Clarence C., 212 Burgard Place, Buffalo, New York 
Edwards, Jack D., 112 Fordyce St., Rector, Arkansas 
Elledge, Clyde J., Box 64, Hinton, Oklahoma 
Fecser, John G. Jr., 2214 Bridge Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 
Fischer, Robert E., 241 Waverly Ave., Newark, New 
Jersey 

Flannery, John P., 52 Second St., Brooklyn, New York 


Franklin, Clint E., 1205 W. 3d St., Big Spring, Texas 
Fry, Clarence C., 119 W. Fresno, Ponca City, Oklahoma 
Gandara, Marcos R. Jr., 228 National St., San Antonio, 
Texas 

Ginger, Lester M., 821 N. Osage St., Ponca City, Oklahoma 
Graf, George D., 512 12th St., Alamosa, Colorado 
Graves, Harold W., Route No. 2, Roosevelt, Oklahoma 
Guffey, Paul A., Route No. 2, Ashland, Illinois 
Guinn, Thomas J., Route No. 5, Elk City, Oklahoma 
Hoagland, James N., 2623 N. Dewey St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Hogge, Eugene F., Sandston, Virginia 
Holt, Jessie W., 408 N. Leflors St., Pampa, Texas 
Honack, William A., 6622 Independence Ave., Kansas City, 
Missouri 

Howard, Kenneth B., Pike, West Virginia 
Hull, Claud L., Cushman, Arkansas 
Ibarra, Salvador, Carrizo Springs, Texas 
Isham, Robert T., 999 Lake Rd., Lake Forest, Illinois 
Jurasek, Victor J. Jr., Route No. 1, El Campo, Texas 
Kaiponen, Arve F., Box 172, Rockland, Michigan 
Keeler, Lewis E., 611 Canal St., Eaton Rapids, Michigan 
Lc Grant, Arlie L., General Delivery, Marshall, Oklahoma 
Lilley, William A., 217 S. 6th St., Durant, Oklahoma 
Magill, Frederique E., 2220 N. W. 37th St., Oklahoma 
City, Oklahoma 

Makowiec, Leo A., 326 Fayette St., Elmira, New York 
Mallery, Glenn E., Route No. 2, Box 201-A, Wheeling, 
West Virginia 

Masters, Fred J., 1438 N. Wall St., Columbus, Ohio 
Mathews, Robert E., Route No. 1. Fennimore, Wisconsin 
Mazarakis, James, 160 Albany St., Albany, New York 


86 





Merriman, Rex H., General Delivery, Lenapah, Oklahoma 
Misel, Fred J., 2502 “B” Ave., Lawton, Oklahoma 
Moutray, Clifford R., General Delivery, Leonard, Okla¬ 
homa 

Narron, Wilbert D., 523 Norse, Slater, Missouri 
Neel, Harrell L., Route No. 2, Altus, Oklahoma 
Norton, Granvle R., Box 233, Blair, Oklahoma 
Orullian, David, 1128 Elgin Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah 
Pelletier, Joseph O., 72 Pond, Waterbury, Connecticut 
Peters, Robert F., 5430 Carnegie Ave., Pittsburgh, Penn¬ 
sylvania 

Pettit, Donald A., 93 Brooklyn St., Pontiac, Michigan 
Phillips, Henry M., Route No. 3, Holladay, Tennessee 
Phillips, Raymond E., City Route, Collinsville, Oklahoma 
Pirtle, William, Route No. 2, Merom, Indiana 
Purdy, Newton F., Route No. 2, Box 113, Mt. View, 
Oklahoma 

Ralston, Herschel E., Route No. 1, Box 139, Oklahoma 
City, Oklahoma 

Raper, Chloeta D., Box 314, Healdton, Oklahoma 
Reece, Clifford L., Box 246, Drumright, Oklahoma 
Ricotta, Joseph J., 623 Wall St., Rockford, Illinois 
Rine, Ralph W., General Delivery, Jet, Oklahoma 
Robinson, William E., Box 216, Lone Wolf, Oklahoma 
Russell, John H., 319 S. 6th St., Muskogee, Oklahoma 
Saiz, Tony, Route No. 1, Holcomb, Kansas 


Schwartz, Elmer, Route No. 1, Box 304, Wellington, 
Colorado 

Scott, Henry W., 1022 N. Oak St., Ada, Oklahoma 
Seward, Jesse E., 1625 S. W. 31st St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Sides, Carlton J., General Delivery, Dialville, Texas 
Sisk, Willie R., 204 River St., Belton, South Carolina 
Smith, Harold L., 1321 S. W. 23rd St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Sorrels, James W., General Delivery, Owassa, Oklahoma 
Stewart, Basil, 921 S. 7th St., Lawton, Oklahoma 
Sullum, Sidney L., 306 E. Market St., Wilkes-Barre, Penn¬ 
sylvania 

Tomlinson, George R., Hawthorne, Nevada 
Turner, Freddie, General Delivery, Claud, Oklahoma 
Underwood, Victor D., 800 Davis St., Clovis, New Mexico 
Ussery, Raymon N., Box 43, Willow Brook, California 
Van Beber, William V., General Delivery, Kersey, Colorado 
Vertrees, Richard E., Dow City, Iowa 
Wood, Jesse F., Route No. 2, Caldwell, Texas 
Woodward, George E., 1102 E. Haskell St., Tulsa 6, 
Oklahoma 

Wyatt, Theodore R., 105 “A” Ave., Lawton, Oklahoma 
Yost, Clyde R., Route No. 1, Milliken, Colorado 
Yost, Percy R., Route No. 1, Milliken, Colorado 
Zoromski, John M., 101 IK West St., Wausau, Wisconsin 


OTHER ENLISTED MEN WHO SERVED DURING COMBAT 
July 14, 1944 to May 8, 1945 


Austin, Daniel H., 2714 B Ave., Lawton, Oklahoma 
Cannon, Morris S., Route No. 2, Center, Texas 
Carpenter, Frank H., Box 905, Pawhuska, Oklahoma 
Davis, Billie, General Delivery, Lawton, Oklahoma 
Fisher, Matthews H., 5339 S. Shields, Chicago, Illinois 
Galloway, Fred A., Route No. 1, Box 65, Bristow, Okla¬ 
homa 

Hanecak, Edward J., 52 Vliet St., Cohoes, Albany, New 
York. 

Kirk, James E., Springfield, South Dakota 

Lopez, Benito H., 509 Joy St., Corona, California 

Moreno, Jesus, 420 N. Carrizo St., Corpus Christi, Texas 


Pate, Johnnie J., Route No. 3, Mt. Vernon, Arkansas 

Phillips, Oscar L., Route No. 1, Germanton, North 
Carolina 

Ponchaud, John L., 308 N. 6th St., Crystal Falls, Michigan 

Presley, Asa C., cl o Fire Department, Elk City, Oklahoma 

Robertson, Doffies D., General Delivery, Modesto, Cali¬ 
fornia 

Ross, Cornelius W. Jr., Route No. 1, Collinsville, Okla¬ 
homa 

Simpson, Johnce R., 517 Choctaw St., Bartlesville, Okla¬ 
homa 

Tewell, Thomas E., General Delivery, Villa Grove, Illinois 


87 



BATTERY “C” 

693RD FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION 
May 8, 1945 



Abendschein, Carl, PO Box 55, Wauneta, Nebraska 
Achino, Anthony F., 924 N. Sedgwick St., Chicago, Illinois 
Allen, Noble, General Delivery, Choctaw, Arkansas 
Baltrus, Joseph F., 6838 28th Ave., Kenosha, Wisconsin 
Barrick, Earl E., Belleville, Arkansas 
Benn, Robert L., Chelsea, Iowa 

Bentley, Virgil, Route No. 2, Box 477, Lewiston, Idaho 
Bradley, John H. Jr., Box 93, Leonard, Oklahoma 
Brletic, John J., 818 Peach St., Erie, Pennsylvania 
Brletic, Matthew J. Jr., River Station, Detroit, Michigan 
Brown, William A. F., 1117 E. Hattie St., Fort Worth, 
Texas 

Cherry, Troy A., 900 W. 12th St., Ada, Oklahoma 
Chick, Robert F., RFD No. 1, Kennebunkport, Maine 
Cook, Arthur L., 984 Valencia St., San Francisco, Cali¬ 
fornia 

Copeland, Buddy E., General Delivery, Earlsboro, Okla¬ 
homa 

Cortez, Arthur M., 428 E. Santa Barbara St., Los Angeles, 
California 

Downey, Eugene M., 1219 Orange St., Muscatine, Iowa 
Durbin, William E., Route No. 2, Wilburton, Oklahoma 
Edwards, James Jr., 137 Reynolds Ave., Corning, New York 
Elliott, Charles T., 423 E. 5th St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Evans, Robert L., 2106 Ravine St., Cincinnati, Ohio 
Faludi, John J., 501 Columbus St., Joliet, Illinois 
Feusi, John A., 1620 Basler Ave., Sacramento, California 
Fleming, Carroll, Derma, Mississippi 

Fox, Orville P. Jr., Exposition Park Hotel, N. Aurora, 
Illinois 

Fultz, James C., Route No. 6, Box 817, Tulsa, Oklahoma 



Gay, Allison C., General Delivery, Yeager, Oklahoma 
Gibson, Cornelius, Route No. 1, Wiggins, Mississippi 
Goodnough, Lawrence A., 110 N. 19th St., Escanaba, 
Michigan 

Gruenewald, Harry F., 3718 77th St., Jackson Heights, 
New York 

Hall, Esmond W., 15 Francis St., Claremont, New 

Hampshire 

Hause, George B., RFD No. 3, Seminole, Oklahoma 
Hernandez, Pete S., 811 N. Frio St., San Antonio, Texas 
Horn, William E., Route No. 1, Paxinos, Pennsylvania 
Howard, L. V., 1504 S. 9th St., Lawton, Oklahoma 
Hurley, Robert G., RFD No. 1, Lowell, Michigan 
Jahn, Oliver A., 1914 Rhine St., N.S., Pittsburgh, Penn¬ 
sylvania 

Jones, George A.j, 701 W. 22nd St., Tulsa, Oklahoma 
Josephson, Walter H., 572 N. Kellogg St., Galesburg, 
Illinois 

Kane, Frederick W., 6712 Hope Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 
Keegan, Vernon N., 2135 N. 73 Ct., Elmwood Park, 
Illinois 

Kelso, Glen O., Route No. 3, McCune, Kansas 
Kidd, Eddie L., Bracey, Virginia 
Kinyo, Steve, Box 66, Bradley, Ohio 

Kitchen, Floyd J., 2324 N. E. 21st St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Krawczyk, Chester, 2218 W. 21st Place, Chicago, Illinois 
Kreason, Frederick W., 7020 E. Forest Ave., Detroit, 
Michigan 

Lane, Richard C., Box 224, Turley, Oklahoma 
Locagno, Louis M., 30 Morrell St., Brooklyn, New York 
Louthian, Paul E., General Delivery, lone, Arkansas 


88 





Macaluso, Anthony D., 1302 Avenue “L”, Galveston, Texas 
Martinez, Willie C., 1508 Howard St., Corpus Christi, 
Texas 

McReynolds, Floyd, Route No. 2, Rush Springs, Oklahoma 
Moore, Harold L., General Delivery, Atlanta, Kansas 
Moore, Valton, Route No. 2, Commerce, Texas 
Moticka, Joseph F., 2101 S. Allport St., Chicago, Illinois 
Mullin, Alfred D., 505 Pine St., Texarkana, Texas 
Murray, John E., 678 E. 46th St., Brooklyn, New York 
Neff, William H., Route No. 2, Box 8, Stilwell, Oklahoma 
Nickerson, Howard B., 3447 Aldrich Ave., South Minne¬ 
apolis, Minnesota 

Nixon, George A., Route No. 2, Greenbier, Arkansas 
Noto, Vincent J., 4355 Park Heights Ave., Baltimore, 
Maryland 

Orsak, Charlie E., Route No. 5, Box 157, Yoakum, Texas 
Owens, Charles D., 427 N. E. 12th St., Apt. 5, Oklahoma 
City, Oklahoma 

Pettit, Harvey P., 532 S. Maryland St., Claremore, Okla¬ 
homa 

Pierce, James L., 611 Tracy, Peoria, Illinois 

Powers, J. C., Box 524, Celina, Texas 

Powers, Jesse E., PO Box 13, Lamesa, Texas 

Pruitt, Clyde H., Route No. 5, Box 13, Atoka, Oklahoma 

Rains, Louis E., Route No. 1, Mesquite, Texas 


Ramirez, Joe F., La Jara, Colorado 
Robards, George M., Box 102, Chelsa, Oklahoma 
Runkle, Robert L., 316 W. Spring St., Freeport, Illinois 
Salazar, Rafael P., 315 Bridge St., Del Rio, Texas 
Schroeder, Aloysius F., Route No. 1, Cuba City, Wisconsin 
Shade, Johnnie E., 906 E. State St., Enid, Oklahoma 
Smith, T. J., Route No. 2, Center, Texas 
Spangen, Lloyd J., 1768 E. 32nd St., Brooklyn, New York 
Sparks, Paul C., 1439 Lombardy Drive, Houston 3, Texas 
Stutts, Royal A. Jr., Route No. 2, Vass, North Carolina 
Tate, Charles E., Box 141, Palmer, Texas 
Thoma, Bernard E., Cold Spring Rd., Liverpool, New York 
Tolson, Roy L., 18272 S. Burnham Ave., Lansing, Illinois 
Trask, David L., 9 Flagg St., Augusta, Maine 
Trejo, Pete, 107 W. Goddard Ave., Trinidad, Colorado 
Tucker, Emmitt M., Route No. 2, Ovett, Mississippi 
Utley, Melvin, Harveyton, Kentucky 

Vela, Hilbert L., 717 S. Hudson St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Washenberger, Michael J., General Delivery, Fort Sill, 
Oklahoma 

Williams, Donald H., 5502 Junius St., Dallas, Texas 
Wilt, Orville B., 414 Pitkin St., Fort Collins, Colorado 
Wood, Bert J., 1220 S. Carson St., Tulsa, Oklahoma 
Zakian, Haig, 3813 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 


OTHER ENLISTED MEN WHO SERVED DURING COMBAT 
July 14, 1944 to May 8, 1945 


Adams, Marvin E. C., Route No. 1, Calvin, Oklahoma 
Alley, Wiley E., 6706 Carson Ave., Seattle, Washington 
Beam, Charles O., Route No. 3, Box 250, Ramer, Alabama 
Boggs, Jim D., General Delivery, Bentley, Oklahoma 
Daley, Robert E., 855 Pelanconi St., Glendale, California 
DeNu, Cornelius A., 309 S. Wenzel St., Louisville, Kentucy 
Everson, Marvin W., RFD No. 2, Fennimore, Wisconsin 
Garrett, James T., Route No. 1, Wesley, Arkansas 
Ginder, Clyde G., 2709 Dodge St., Omaha, Nebraska 
Harper, George C., 1365 E. 62nd St., Chicago, Illinois 
Lovcy, Eldred H., Box 8, Saguache, Colorado 
Neal, Ace P., Chestnut St., Marianna, Arkansas 


Padilla, Frank R., 656 6th St., Douglas, Arizona 
Padilla, Manuel M., Box 2300, Gilbert, Arizona 
Ravndalen, Olaf, Roosevelt, Minnesota 
Reedy, Oscar W., Route No. 3, Eupora, Mississippi 
Sandel, Laney L., 322 E. 11th St., Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma 

Sevetsky, Peter, General Delivery, Munson, Pennsylvania 
Smith, Eddie H., 729 Aldridge St., Amarillo, Texas 
Tafoya, Manuel B., Holbrook, Arizona 
Webb, George H., Box 1384, Jacksonville, Texas 
Wenrick, Richard H., Linfield, Pennsylvania 


89 








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IIMHII' 








■ 






mmmm 











TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

Coat of Arms and Description. 4 

Foreword, by Lt. Col. R. L. Shoemaker, Jr. 9 

Preface.15 

PART ONE — ‘OUR STORY” 

Plans and Training, an Introduction.19 

DO NOT LOAD! The Normandy Campaign.21 

FIRE MISSION! The Campaign of Northern France . ..25 

FIRE FOR EFFECT! The Campaign of the Rhineland.34 

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! The Campaign of Central Europe ... 49 

Epilogue.63 

PART TWO — “THE FACTS” 

Awards and Decorations.67 

Attachments and Assignments.70 

Letters of Commendation. 71 

Miscellaneous Statistics.77 

Rosters .79 

Personal Notes. 94 










































































































































































































PERSONAL NOTES 








































































































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POE 

14 July 194 4 




Brussels 


Aachen 






Reims 





Fulda 


m 


Koblenz 



OBER WEISSENBRUNN 7 APR. 

JJ— * O> £CH0NAU 7-6 APR 
/ r Q NEUSTADTARD 6 9 APR 

WEISSENBACH 5 6 APR O 
FELLEN 4-5 APR. * 

HOLZHAUSEN s-io apf, 

0«WEI POLT HAUS E N IO->IAP« 

*o „abersfeld i i/apr 
BUCH 



-8'veft 


CDZZE GfflCD 
§ □_ CD W-Q DC □ A 


PARTENSTEIN 

Frankfurt BURGS ^ a ^ APR 


2T-2 6 MAR^ 
2G -2 7 MAR, 



o HA 


ROSS BACH - 
31-MAR.- I APRIL 


1-2 


30 MAR 
23 MAR. / 


ENNBTNl-OHE 1 6 - 17 APR, 


-13 APR. 

IHONBRACH 13 APR. 

BURGEBRACH 14 APR. 

LIMBACH 14 APR 
NIEDERLINDACH 15 APR 

^ ERLANGEN 

KRAFTS HOF 17-1 ft APR 
N URN6ER6 ? ALTENBURG 16-20 APR 



,°*0 ERBACH 28-30 MAR, 


ROXHEIM 


Metz 


Chateau-Thierry 


Par is 



<§> 

D I NAN 


o s Aus. 

% s Aug Levare 
V us" Aus St Denu 

erneeoN^ MAYENNE 
;Aug Alexion 


Verneuil 

osenonches 


Laval 


5t Suzanne 

AUS 

y^BFRNAY* 0, V 

V 7 AUG 


(SfALENCON 
0*15 AUS. 
*0.13-14 AUG 
SM2 AUG 


17 AUG, Q+O 

16 AUS. 

ORMOY 

CHATEAUFNEUT 

<§> 

CHARTRES 


ABLIS 


ARC IS 
S vBRIENNE 



k ® 


AU6 

II AUG. BALLON 
S-IO AUG. 


LE MAN5 

6 AUG 


Orleans 


First Round Fired 




Chalons 


Fontainebleau 





7-6 SEPT 



ETTING - 20 O”AN. 
rZHEIM 21 DEC-19 TAN 
MAIERHOFF 16-2 1 DEC. 

I l-IG dec: 

7 - H DEC 
6-7 DEC 

ADAMSVILLER-2-DEC.' 




WORMS^t 

(gtaj JJ 2 8 -29 MAR 

-2 4 M AR 

-2 3 MAR^O IS?ANKENTHAL-24-25 MAR 

__.>0 (^vjyiANNHEIM 

^KAISERERSLAUTEf 


OFFWIELER FARI 21-22MAR 
ALTHORNBACH I 1 MAR 
-5CHWEVEN I7-|| IAR. 
EPPINGURBACH l] IAR 
-GROS REDERCH1NG I FEB-I6MAR. 

* EB 

WEINBOURtTzir -9 FEB. 

^BISCHOLTZ ^9 NOV - 2 DEC 

"0.-29 f> 

--DOS SHE 


Stuttgart 


IS-16 SEPT 


jJD?J v HEMING 21 NOV 

RECHICOURT 20-21 NOV 
TVvTlS 20 NOV 

^^21 OCT- 13 NOV 

I 1-20 OCT MARAIN 
I- I I OCT 

LUNEVILLE 27 SEPT-| 
20-27 5EPT 
19-20 SEPT 



O SEPT 
O 

CHAUl 'JT 


Montargis 



Colmar 


Mulhouse 



Nantes 


Blois 


T o URS 








, 

A 

, 


r ’ 





<§> 


21-22 APR 


o &ODDEDORF 22 APR 


O, AHA 23 APR 


Regensburg 


CLFUNFSTETTEN 24 25 APR. 
* 0 BAIERFELD 25 APR 



0. 





27 APR. 


HOLZ HEIM 27 APR 


Last Round Fired 


O.OB ROTH 29 APR 

fef DACHAU 


Augsburg 

FURSTENFELDRUCK 30 APR. 

Munich 



GRAFELING 
3 O APR. -2 MAY 





Salzbufws 
4-6 May 
1945 


Innsbruck 


® 


Statute M'Ces 
IO 20 


A QJS UKOfi 











6 



Advance Of 

Six FHundred Nineity—Third 
Field Artillery Battalion 
England to Austria 

JULY 14 1944 to MAY 8 1945 

Campaign Stars - Four - Normandy- N.France - 
'A' l^T Rhineland - Germany. 

Rounds Fired -76,203 ~ Miles Traveled- itoo Approx 
SubmittedApprove d!?!- 


a 


COBWEB 



CA PT F A 


LT COL FA 


3/7-«5/665E/A-5 


REPRODUCED BY 666 TH EN6R. TOP. CO., U. S. ARMY 






























































































